"When I Do Tadasana...": When Netanyahu Used Yoga To Link Indian And Israeli Democracy
The world will celebrate International Yoga Day tomorrow, with events planned across India and 190 other countries. More than 2,000 events will be hosted at 1,300 locations, covering multiple cities. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the initiative during his address at the UN General Assembly, and the global body recognised June 21 as International Yoga Day.
Ahead of the celebration, a statement from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is going viral, where he told Prime Minister Modi, during the latter's state visit to Israel, that he is inspired by Prime Minister Modi's enthusiasm for Yoga and cited yogic asanas to link the democracies.
Prime Minister Modi went to Israel in 2017 on a state visit, marking 25 years of Indo-Israel Strategic Partnership. During a joint statement, Mr Netanyahu said, "I have to confess that I have been inspired by Modi's enthusiasm for Yoga," adding that Prime Minister Modi advised him to start at a lower level.
"I am starting at a lower level. When I do a relaxing Tada-asana in the morning and I turn my head to the right, India is the first democracy I see, and when Modi does a relaxing Vasisthasana and he turns left, Israel is the first democracy he can see. So in fact we have India and Israel, two sister democracies," Mr Netanyahu said.
Times of Israel quoted Prime Minister Modi as saying during his interview with Israel's Channel 2, "Modi was asked at one point if he would invite Netanyahu to join him in a yoga session. The prime minister laughed and noted that many Israelis appreciated the ancient Indian discipline."
When his interviewer suggested Yoga could help solve the Middle East's problems, Prime Minister Modi laughed and said, "That would delight me."
Yoga Day 2025
The theme for IDY 2025 is 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'.
This theme echoes a vital truth about the interconnectedness of health, sustainability, and the environment, aligning with India's "One Earth, One Family, One Future" vision highlighted during its G20 presidency, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the cultural arm of the Ministry of External Affairs underlined.
In Delhi, yoga events will be led by these foreign yoga gurus at Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar, Purana Quila and Humayun's Tomb, while similar 'Yoga Bandhan' programmes will be organised at iconic locations in Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Gwalior and other cities.
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