NEW DELHI: Amid the hustle-bustle of the crowded Paharganj main market, located in the heart of the national capital Delhi, a narrow and congested lane that doesn’t bear any specific signboards leads to a three-story modest building that has remained a one-stop destination for Jewish travellers for years.
The alley in front of the Chabad House of Delhi, one of the oldest ones in India, has a few shops with flex boards having Hebrew written on it, giving a sense of Jewish culture within the heart of the city. The Chabad House usually remains crowded with Jewish travellers who visit the place and hundreds of business people from around the world who stay in Delhi for work.
However, the ripples of war between Israel and Hamas militia group had its own share of effect in Delhi as the Chabad House, which was a centre of attraction, for Jews now wears a deserted look, with only a few bagpackers, willing to leave for their country anytime.
On October 7, Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip, triggering an ongoing conflict between them two. The Jews visiting the Chabad House recalled what their families and friends had to face back home during the attack.
‘Best friend kidnapped, tortured & murdered in Gaza’ Omri Olev, who once served Israel Navy, while speaking to this newspaper, expressed anguish and grief for the people who have lost their lives in the attack, including someone he described as his best friend. “I was in Nepal at the time of attack.
My best friend was kidnapped. I cannot explain how I felt for the next 12 hours. I don’t know where he was, whether he was even alive or not. Eventually, I learnt that he was murdered,” Olev said. He said that he was planning to celebrate with his friend when he went back to Israel, but he was dead now.
Olev remarked that there was a lot of fake and biased news about the conflict on social media. “The attack might have started on October 7, but in reality it started years ago. Every two years, we are fighting. I see many newspapers and TV channels only reporting what happened on October 8,” Olev said.
‘Willing to get return to service if necessary’ With several Israelis reportedly leaving for their country to join the fight against Hamas, Olev too expressed the same desire. “Many Israelis are now going back to serve their country. I have not yet been called but if they call me and have a job for me, I’ll join in a minute,” he said.
Asked about his take on India extending moral support to Israel, Olev said he was a bit disillusioned as he wanted India to extend military help rather than just moral support. “PM Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu are good friends. Both are right-wing leaders. But if you ask me, I have not seen India helping Israel on the streets in the conflict,” he said.
Boards in Hebrew welcoming visitors seen along the alleyway leading to the Chabad House in Paharganj | EXPRESS‘India is a safe and secure country for Israelis’ Asked if he is concerned about the safety and security of his countrymen in other countries, including India, Olev responded that Indians have always been kind to Israelis and he too has experienced that during his stay in the country.
“However, the Jewish people, are always targeted,” he added. “It is a matter of concern. Jewish people all over the world get chased after. Just a few days back, a man at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing, China was stabbed. I don’t know why. Just because he was a Jew, perhaps,” he said.
“So we need to keep our eyes open. I am carrying a small knife in my bagpack, just for my protection, just to feel safe. I know all Indians love Israeli people. If I go anywhere in India, people give me cookies for free after hearing our situation,” the former Navy gunner said.
Asked about his opinion on the long-term solution to the ongoing conflict and resumption of peace on the ground, Olev said, “If I had the answer to this question, I would have been the prime minister. I consider myself as a left wing person, I am liberal and believe in rights for everybody. But Hamas provoked Israel. I believe the only way towards peace is to first wipe out Hamas”.
