What does Narendra Modi think about Israel?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi writes on Israel in his book 'Setubandh',

"Two thousand years ago, invaders devastated Israel. Some of its people were scattered to various parts of the world; yet, filled with self-respect and seizing upon the circumstances of the First and Second World Wars, they built their nation. Today, despite being surrounded by as many as thirteen adversaries, it continues to move forward, forcing its enemies to bow before it.

To understand how Israel achieved this miracle, a journalist traveled there. This journalist had only heard of the 'Jew' as a greedy trader, or 'Jew-peev' meaning a 'miser', and so on; but he discovered how these very 'Jewish' people vanquished all their enemies in merely a few days. Every Israeli soldier fought not for wages, but for the nation, and stood steadfast with self-respect and pride for their country—not only in those days, but for the future as well. Alongside this spirit of the soldiers, ordinary citizens too played their respective roles.

The Forgetting of National Consciousness

Just as a nation is made great by its citizens, the decline of a nation also occurs when national consciousness is absent among its people. The history of our country is a direct witness to this. Muhammad bin Qasim invaded Sindh, and other Muslim chieftains invaded as well. They demolished temples and erected mosques in their place, converting numerous Hindus to Islam; yet, due to the lack of awakening in society, the mosques and the Muslims remained as they were.

When we look at the histories of different nations across the world, we find that a society cannot advance merely because a few of its individuals are good. Only when the individual and social character of the ordinary citizen of that country is elevated can that nation stand tall with self-respect before the world. It is said, 'A Nation is as great or small as its average citizens.' This is the truth.

From this perspective, the example of England can be cited. Countries like France and Belgium fell in the blink of an eye. Not only that, England too had to suffer a humiliating defeat at Dunkirk. The standing England had held in the world until then received a severe blow from this defeat; yet the self-confidence of its people did not waver. Their resolve held firm. Under the leadership of Churchill, the people of England faced the situation with great self-confidence and ultimately emerged victorious. Naturally, the public there celebrated Churchill. At this felicitation ceremony, a speaker remarked, 'Mr. Churchill is the lion of England.' Churchill replied, 'You are the lion of England. I simply roared for you.' Churchill knew well that the true strength of any country resides in its people, not in one or two individuals. The history of Israel demonstrates this very truth."

--- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Israel, in his book 'Setubandh'

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque and the 1969 Gujarat Riots