RAANANA: Indian Soldiers In Israel

RAANANA: External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar on Wednesday unveiled a plaque at Ra’anana in northern Israel in the
memory of Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Battle of Tabsor
during World War I.

This is a
step towards establishing an India Trail, marking the major points where Indian
soldiers fought and paid supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in the region.

It is
envisaged that the trail — India’s military great war path — will involve six
plaques at six places, of which Haifa and Ra’nana are a part. The trail is
envisaged to be completed in 2022 to commemorate the 75th year of India’s
Independence.

“Unveiled
the memorial plaque for Indian Army soldiers who fought at the Battle of Tabsor
in the Megiddo Offensive of September 1918,” Mr Jaishankar tweeted.
“This is part of a larger India Trail that will bring out the role of our
soldiers in shaping the history of this region,” he added.

Saluting
the valour of the Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the region,
Mr Jaishankar said he is “honoured to visit the site of the famous battle
of Tabsor of WWI at Raanana”.

Fought on
September 19-20, 1918, the Battle of Tabsor was an important battle and the
opening of the famous Meggido offensive. These events played a crucial role in
the victory of the Entente Forces over the Ottoman armies in Palestine during
WWI.

A vast
majority of the soldiers who participated in this offensive were Indian troops,
consisting of Punjabis, Sikhs, Gurkhas and soldiers from various other regions
of undivided India.

The
valour and the indomitable fighting spirit of the Indian troops displayed in
this and other battles that followed in this land, have been recognised as a
major contributor in the capture of Tabsor, the opening stage that led to the
final eventful victory of the EEF over the Ottomans in this land.

The
plaque was unveiled by Mr Jaishankar along with the Mayor of Raanana, Chaim
Broyde, as part of the 75th year of India’s Independence and 30 years of
diplomatic relations between Israel and India.

“When
we look back and ask ourselves as to what we can draw from time as a source of
strength to build our relationship, I think it is important to also look at
other parts of our history and one of the less well known part relates to what
we are commemorating today,” Mr Jaishankar told the gathering at the
event.

“The
presence, the sacrifices of the Indian soldiers is not a story that has got the
attention it should in our own countries nor in the world. As our relationship
strengthens, it is important to realise how much in the past we have done for
each other.

“It
is also in some ways a segment of India’s own growing global story as we set
out to engage the world in a much more intense way and to explain to the world
what our connections have been with it for many many decades,” he noted.

Emphasising
that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “changed India’s approach to those
historical events…what we are doing today should be projected as a part of a
greater trail, so that not only tourists from India and Israelis, but the world
can follow the trail to understand what the history has been between us. It is
a notable contribution to our relationship building,” Mr Jaishankar
stressed.

Eran
Tearosh, Chairman of the Society for the Heritage of World War I in Israel also
participated in the ceremony sharing details of the battle and its
significance.

“It
was a military masterpiece” in terms of “deception and
execution” strategy, Tearosh said, adding, “We owe a deep sense of
gratitude to the Indian soldiers.”

He also
expressed hope that an “India trail” would be created as part of the
75th year of India’s independence and on the occasion of 30 years of diplomatic
relations between India and Israel.

Describing
Ra’anana as a friend of India, Broyde said with this unveiling and ongoing
efforts “people will hear stories of this battle”. He also expressed
hope that there would be “no more wars and no more bloodshed”.

During
the event, which was attended by local people and people from the Indian Jewish
community, local school children sang national anthems of India and Israel and a
song, “you have got a friend in me”.

Mr
Jaishankar kicked off his five-day visit to Israel on Sunday by laying wreaths
at a cemetery for Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the region
during World War I in Talpiot, Jerusalem.

About 900
Indian soldiers are interred in cemeteries across Israel in Jerusalem, Ramle
and Haifa.

“I
am deeply honoured to pay homage to the valiant sons of India who fought with
bravery and courage in this land during WWI, bringing glory to themselves,
their comrades and their motherland,” Mr Jaishankar wrote in the
visitors’ book.

“The
valour and supreme sacrifice of these bravehearts will forever remain etched in
the heart of our nation. Your heroism and selfless service is an inspiration
and beacon of light that will forever guide us in the service of our country. I
wish to thank you & Commonwealth War Graves Commission for maintaining
these memorials for Indian soldiers in Israel,” he wrote.

The
heroics of the Indian soldiers have prominently come to light here during the
past two decades and the story of liberation of the northern coastal city of
Haifa, in what most war historians consider “the last great cavalry
campaign in history”, has become a household tale with its inclusion in
the city’s local history textbooks.

The
Indian Army commemorates September 23 every year as Haifa Day to pay its
respects to the three brave Indian Cavalry Regiments — Mysore, Hyderabad and
Jodhpur Lancers — that helped liberate Haifa following a dashing cavalry
action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.

Captain
Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit
(IOM) and Captain Anop Singh and Second Lieutenant Sagat Singh were awarded the
Military Cross (MC) as recognition for their bravery in this battle.

Major
Dalpat Singh, widely known as the Hero of Haifa, was awarded a military cross
for his bravery.

Indian
cavalry regiments armed with spears and swords had displayed the highest
tradition of valour and cleared the enemy from the rocky slopes of Mount
Carmel.

In a
symbolic gesture of friendship with Israel, India renamed the iconic Teen Murti
Chowk, a war memorial, during the visit of then Israeli prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to Delhi in January 2018 to Teen Murti Haifa Chowk.

Prime
Minister Modi visited the Haifa cemetery during his visit to Israel in July
2017 and unveiled a plaque commemorating Major Dalpat Singh for his critical
role in the liberation of the city.

The 61st
Cavalry, the name given to the unit created after the merger of cavalry units
after independence, sent a contingent to Israel in 2018 to participate in the
centenary celebrations.

The
Israel Post had issued a commemorative stamp in 2018 in appreciation of Indian
soldiers’ role in liberating the city.