Alibaug (Maharashtra) [India], August 2 (ANI): Consul General of Israel to Midwest India, Kobbi Shoshani, on Thursday inaugurated two synagogues in Alibaug in Maharashtra's Raigad district.

The envoy was seen sharing heartfelt moments and interacting warmly with those present at the inauguration ceremony.

While speaking to ANI, Consul General Shoshani said, 'I have been in India for four years already. I am about to go back home to Israel. I think this is one of the most amazing countries that I have been to in my life; a part of my heart is going to stay here. This is not my first time in Alibaug. Today we inaugurated two synagogues.'

He added, 'This is a history of Jewish people in Alibaug... They first time came here two thousand years ago. They lived here without any fear, persecution'.

Earlier this year, in January, during the Holocaust Remembrance Day in Mumbai, Shoshani had also emphasised the long-standing bond between the Jewish and Indian communities, noting that Jews have lived in India for over two millennia without experiencing discrimination.

India and Israel are partners with warm and forward-looking ties.

The civilizational relations between the countries date back more than two millennia. India has welcomed Jews for several centuries, and their contribution, in turn, has enriched Indian culture.

MEA, in a statement, had noted that India is known in Israel as an ancient nation with strong cultural traditions and as an attractive tourist destination.

There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel who are Israeli passport holders.

As per the MEA, the main waves of immigration into Israel from India took six place in the 1950s and 1960s. The majority are from Maharashtra (Bene Israelis), and relatively smaller numbers are from Kerala (Cochini Jews) and Kolkata (Baghdadi Jews). In recent years, some Indian Jews from the North Eastern states of India (Bnei Menashe) have also been immigrating to Israel. (ANI)