Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 1 : Kobbi Shoshani, Israel's Consul General in Mumbai, on Thursday praised India's leadership for their handling of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Shoshani made the remarks at the Waves Summit in Mumbai, where the victims of the attack were remembered and mentioned.
Speaking to ANI, Shoshani said that the mention of the Pahalgam victims at the summit was a victory against terrorism in itself.
"From my point of view, this is the victory against terrorist activities. When you have such a huge event and you mention and remember them, this is the victory of India against all these terrorists," he said.
Shoshani appreciated the Indian government's efforts to give respect to the victims of the Pahalgam attack. He noted that the message was delivered to over 90 countries participating in the summit, which was significant.
"That's the victory against terrorism. And that's exactly what Prime Minister Modiji wanted to do, and he did. And I think that was very, very important to give them respect. Everybody spoke about it," he said.
He referred to the terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that targeted tourists, killing 26 people.
"The idea that everybody mentioned what's happening in Kashmir made me very warm. Even in such a good event, a big event, a happy event, you don't forget what's happening in Kashmir. That's extremely important. The second thing is the victory against terrorism. Because when you make such an event, so many countries, I understand that 90 countries came to India, to Mumbai," he said.
The Consul General highlighted the global impact of the Waves Summit, which brought together creators, startups, industry leaders, and policymakers from around the world. He emphasised that events like these showcase India's power and the quality of its entertainment industry.
"In one word, it shows the power of India, the power of the industry, the power of the quality of the actor and the actress, the power of the government and the power of Maharashtra. And along with me today, we have four Israeli delegates from Israel, an actor, very well known in Israel. And I'm very happy to come along with the delegation here to Mumbai and be here in the waves, which is amazing," he said.
Shoshani mentioned that the Israeli delegation aimed to collaborate with the Indian side, particularly in the entertainment industry. He expressed his delight in attending the summit and exploring opportunities for collaboration.
"I have to tell you it's amazing. I saw the introduction, I saw the people coming, I saw the scenery and the screen. It shows the power of India at its best. Our aim is to make collaboration and we came here with a quite significant delegation from Israel, four people, one actor and one actress, two producers coming here to find out the collaboration," he told ANI.
WAVES 2025 is a four-day summit with the tagline "Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries", poised to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment, and digital innovation by bringing together creators, startups, industry leaders, and policymakers worldwide.