India's vote on J'salem will not impact Indo-Israel ties: Envoy

New Delhi: Israel on Friday said India's vote against it in the United Nations on Jerusalem issue cannot be brushed aside, but this episode will not impact the bilateral relations and stop both the countries achieve newer heights in ties."Vote at UN is important but it will not mar the big picture of the India-Israel relationship, Israel's Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon told a press conference here.

In the same context, he said when it came to Israel, it had backed Justice Dalveer Bhandari's candidature in the International Court of Justice. "Sometimes, countries cannot agree to each other’s requests. It will not influence the relationship as it is more important than one vote here and there," Mr Carmon said.The remarks from the Israeli envoy comes close, on the eve of visit of Israeli Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India between January 14-19, 2018.

Mr Netanyahu's visit is a reciprocating gesture from Israel to the first Prime Minister-level visit from India undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2017.Ariel Sharon was the first Israeli Prime Minister to visit India in 2003. During his stay in India, the Israeli leader who could strike a personal rapport with Mr Modi during the latter's visit to Israel in July, will be visiting Agra, Ahmedabad and Mumbai besides the national capital.

During the visit of Israeli Prime Minister, cooperation in areas of agriculture, water, defence, food industry, science and technology, trade, innovation would be on "top of agenda", the ambassador said. As many as 130 businessmen will be accompanying Mr Netanyahu on his visit to India. "This will reflect aspirations of both sides to increase trade and business," the envoy said. 

Innovation is a cross cutting issue that will dominate the agenda when the two Prime Ministers talk, the ambassador said.The 10-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, who survived the 26/11 terror attack at Nariman House in Mumbai in 2008, will be also accompanied Israeli Prime Minister.There will be a simple ceremony at the Nariman House (now called Chabad House) in Mumbai when Moshe was a toddler. Moshe's Indian nanny Sandra Samuel had managed to shift him to Israel. The boy's parents had died in the 26/11 terror attack.During his visit to Israel last year, PM Modi had also met Moshe.(UNI)