Israeli Envoy to India Likens 26/11 Attacks With Hamas, Echoes PM Modi's Remark

Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon termed the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai a “horrendous” event while also echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on terrorism.

Gilon said that countries have to join hands and together fight against the global phenomenon that terrorism is.

Gilon drew a parallel between the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the October 7 Hamas attacks saying that, “It’s a horrendous phenomenon when people come into your safe haven, to your houses in Mumbai to disrupt the life, to create panic. They wanted panic, they wanted to transmit it – exactly like Hamas. Their aim is not only to kill but also to create panic with the surviving, to make them afraid.”

Sunday marks the 15th year since the horrifying 26/11 attacks took place in Mumbai, the memories of which continue to send chills through the spine, an event which remains in the collective memory of the nation.

Gilon took to the microblogging site X and said, “15 years since the #MumbaiTerrorAttack,” while sharing a picture from the Nariman House rooftop memorial where names of all the 26/11 victims were engraved. “Om Shanti,” Gilon wrote.

The Israeli Ambassador also noted that there is no place for ‘ifs or buts’ in fighting terrorism, adding that the countries are working together to finish off this phenomenon.

“We are telling the Indians, like India is always standing with Israel, more recently but always. Whenever we need, India is on our side. Indians have to know, we are on your side. When you come to fight terrorism, there are no ifs or buts. We are working together, we will finish terrorism,” Gilon told ANI.

In the 26/11 attacks, six Jews were also part of the 166 persons killed by the terrorists. In recent times, Israel officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation. The Israeli government took this decision without any requests from the Indian government.

Gilon also pointed out that India and Israel’s friendship and actions are a display of their fight against terrorism.

Referring to PM Modi’s remarks, the Israeli envoy said, “As PM Modi said rightly so terrorism is a global phenomenon. You have to join hands globally. Countries, and free people of the world have to join hands and efforts in order to fight it. I think India and Israel demonstrate in our actions and friendship in what we do together, the joining of these hands to eliminate terrorism.”

Gilon mentioned that each and every country has its own such event. “We have all suffered terrorism for ages and we still suffer – 9/11 for the US, 26/11 for India, and October 7 for us,” he said. The Israeli envoy noted that these attacks are not like the other terror acts. “This is the thing that changes your DNA and thinking about how you have to treat terror and terrorists…The second population with the most casualties after the Indians were Jews and Israelis… It’s something else that connects us and makes our bonds even stronger,” Gilon said.

Meanwhile, the US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti also paid tributes to the victims at the US consulate in Mumbai. Garcetti also reiterated Washington’s commitment to fight against terrorism alongside India.

He took to X and said, “Today marks the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. We honor the memory of the victims lost and pledge to continue to fight against acts of terror together with the Government of India.”

Kids Held Hostage in Gaza Remind Me Of…: Uncle of 26/11’s Youngest Survivor

Uncle of Moshe Holtzberg, the youngest survivor of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, while speaking to PTI, compared the Mumbai attacks to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas saying that the children held hostage in Gaza reminded him of what happened to baby Moshe during 26/11 attacks.

Moshe, who was just two-years-old at the time of the 26/11 attacks lost both his parents in the assault on the Nariman House — also known as Chabad House — by Pakistan-based terror outfit, LeT.

Moshe’s grandfather expressed his gratitude towards the people of India for treating his family’s sufferings as their own over the years.

“The people of India remember what happened on this day 15 years ago. You remember the tragedy that struck our family and also the families of other Israeli people,” Moshe’s grandfather, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI. “I want to say that I, my wife Yehudit and also the Moishi (Moshe) boy, feel it and want to thank you all in India for your similar feelings for the tragedy that struck us and you all,” he added.

Rosenberg also referred to Hamas’s attack on Israel and said, “This year especially shows how terrorists want to murder the Jews but we still hope for peace in the whole world.”

The Horrendous Attacks of 26/11

On the night of November 26, 2008 a group of terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba entered the island city of Mumbai and killed 166 people, injured 300 persons over the period of four days and caused severe damage to the city.

The targets were deliberately chosen by the terrorists, those which will leave the maximum impact. These targets were the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Nariman House’ Jewish centre, and the Leopald Cafe. Another factor weighed in the choosing of these places was that they were often visited by the Europeans, Indians and Jews.

The nine terrorists were killed by the Indian security forces and the only surviving terrorist from the attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, was arrested. After two years, in May 2010, Qasab was sentenced to death. Two more years later, he was hanged at a maximum security prison in Maharashtra’s Pune city.

The wounds from the attacks still remain fresh in the nation’s memory, however crucial lessons were learnt from the attack and its aftermath.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)