Biggest element in bilateral relations is people-to-people ties: Israeli envoy

By Ayushi Agarwal
New Delhi [India], September 20 : Israeli envoy to India, Naor Gilon, praised the strong ‘people-to-people’ ties that the two countries share, adding that while New Delhi recognised Israel in 1950, the full diplomatic relations were established only in 1992.
“These relations (India and Israel) are relatively new. India acknowledged Israel in 1950 but established full diplomatic relations in 1992. The biggest and strongest element that we have in our relations is people-to-people relations," Gilon told ANI on Tuesday.
The envoy’s remarks came at an event organised by the Embassy of Israel in India, in collaboration with Zero Project, CII-IBDN and Youth4jobs. The event was a first-of-its-kind accessible cocktail led by Access Israel, an Israeli non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.
‘Accessible Cocktail’ is an initiative aimed at raising awareness about the challenges faced by people with disabilities. The event offers participants a unique and customised sensory experience that underscores the importance of accessibility in our society.
Hailing the event, the envoy called it a ‘great initiative’ saying that its aim is to provide technological solutions and raise awareness for people with disabilities.
“I am very happy to be here at this event organised by Accessibility Israel. What they try to do is to raise awareness and solutions for people with disabilities. Whatever they try to do here (blindfolded and limitations to our hands) just to give us an understanding of what it is to be someone with a disability,” the Israeli envoy added.
“The aim of what we are doing today is to share with Indian NGOs, including international counterparts, ways and technological solutions to help people with disabilities. It is a great initiative that will strengthen the ‘people to people’ relationship between India and Israel," he added.
Throughout the event, participants engaged in dialogues with people with disabilities who shed light on their everyday experiences, explored innovative technologies providing solutions and acquired knowledge on a range of topics related to accessibility and inclusion.
The attendees also gained an insight into orientation from the perspective of people with disabilities, relying on their other senses.  Participants engaged in experiential counters such as Blind Tasting Bar, providing the opportunity to taste and identify drinks while blindfolded, Sign and Wine Bar which solely utilises sign language for drink orders and Appetizers bar simulating limited hand mobility while tasting food.
Speaking further about the event, Michal Rimon, CEO of Access Israel said that disability is something that the world is dealing with and there is a lot that can be learned.
“Accessibility and disability are not something that is limited to a country. They are something we are dealing with globally. The visit to India has expanded our minds and enabled us to know the amazing organisations that are doing great things in India that we at ‘access Israel’ can learn a lot from," Rimon added.