[VIDEO & PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

President Reuven Rivlin on Monday evening 20 Cheshvan laid a wreath at a memorial ceremony at the Taj Palace Hotel, for the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The President was joined at the ceremony by Chennamanei Vidyasager Rao, Governor of Maharashtra state of India, as well as other senior state officials, leaders and members of the Jewish community, and members of the business and academic delegation who accompanied the President on his State Visit to India.

“Nearly 8 years ago this wonderful city was the victim of one of the most terrifying, brutal, and murderous, terror attacks,” said President Rivlin and added, “Like Israelis, Indians are sadly no strangers to the threat and the reality of modern global terrorism. And let us be clear, terror is terror is terror – wherever it strikes. Hatred, fundamentalism, extremism, and incitement, they equal one thing – terror.”

He continued, “As we stand here we say clearly that terror will never win. Terror will never win. Our values of democracy and freedom are strong and we will defend them with all our might. We cannot however just rely on values and words. We must act and work together: to share intelligence and best practices, to keep our peoples safe, to protect our borders, our towns and cities. India and Israel stand shoulder to shoulder in this fight. This is our duty to the memory of the victims, and will be the legacy we leave for future generations.”

Later, President Rivlin met with the state governor, and then with leaders of the Mumbai Jewish community. He noted that the Hebrew name for India was the same as the word for ‘praise’ and said, “We praise, and give thanks to India and its Jewish community for the warm welcome we have received. You, the Jews of India are true Indian patriots who at the same time do not give up on their Jewish or Indian identity – but rather unite them together proudly.”

The President went on to visit the Chabad House which was targeted in the terror attacks in November 2008. The President laid a wreath in memory of the six victims of the attack there; Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg HY”D, Bentzion Chroman HY”D, Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum HY”D, Yocheved Orpaz HY”D, and Norma Rabinovich HY”D.

President and First Lady went up to the room which belonged to Moshe, son of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, who was rescued on the day of the attack by the family’s nanny Sandra Samuel. On the walls of his room remain the paintings and Hebrew alphabet drawn by his mother. First Lady Nechama Rivlin emotionally said, “What a maternal feeling this room has, how much warmth and love emanate from its walls.”

They heard the stories of the day, and how Moshe had descended three flights of stairs alone to find his nanny who had managed to protect him.

The President spoke of Moshe’s visit with his grandfather and nanny Sandra, to the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, when they arrived in Israel. “When I saw Moshe,” the President said, “I could not help but think ‘Am Yisrael Chai’. And today here too, in this Chabad House which offers a warm welcome to Jews from around the world every day without rest, I think the same thing again, the People of Israel live. The free world lives, and we will overcome terror.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Mark Neiman, GPO)