Last year, the Indian government issued a ruling that Israeli citizens, must stay out of India for a minimum of six months before applying for a visa to return to India. The decision triggered lots of speculation as to the motives in the Ministry for Home Affairs and the Ministry for Tourism in New Delhi. No one has seen any official statement as the reasons for this decision that currently only applies to Israeli citizens.
I discussed the matter with Israeli friends in Israel this month as well as in India. BBC television had an hour long documentary this month on Israeli citizens, drugs and India. In the absence of any official communiqué, it would appear we can only make a reasonable guess. It is important to bear in mind here that every year more than 50,000 young Israelis, men and women, complete the compulsory three year army service. The television documentary claimed that some 30,000 young Israelis will make the trip to India.
So why the imposed six month break. Possible reasons…
- Unwelcome. Israelis have been stereotyped in India as noisy, arrogant, aggressive and very tight-fisted. Some hotels refuse to allow Israelis to stay. One or two rotten apple does not spoil the tree.
- Drug abuse and drug dealing. Spending time with each other, Israelis take drugs and a tiny number freak out. There is much drug smuggling into Israel, as elsewhere.
- Lost their way. Israeli government or orthodox Jewish sects or both have set up centres and drug clinics in places like McLeod Ganj , Kulu Valley and Goa to rehabiliate Israelis who have ‘lost their way.’ Former army officers and Israeli youth leaders endeavour to track down missing Israelis on behalf of anxious parents.
- Overstayed visa. A number of young Israelis have no wish to return to Israel. Army service, military combat and a country deeply troubled within itself means India becomes a kind of refuge. The Indian authorities show little sympathy to Israelis and others who overstay their visa.
In November 2006, the deputy Prime Minister of Israel visited Goa to check out for himself some of the reasons for the high migration of young Israelis to India. Within a few months, the Israeli and India government had come to an agreement of the minimum six months break between visits.
The Israeli government feels concern about the drug fuelled binges of a small number of Israelis in India, especially in the Himalayas in the hot season and Goa in the cool season. There may be sub text to this agreement between the two governments. There is a military occupation of the minds of 18-21 year old in Israel. This compulsory three year period of military service hardens the hearts of these young people. They emerge with a view that ‘everybody is against us.’ Or the young leaves the army with their sensitive hearts traumatised by the training. They feel guilty and depressed before, during and after any combat duty. They experience sympathy for the Palestinians and Lebanese. Is it any wonder that so many young Israelis need to get away from Israel? An argument could be made that the Israeli’s army occupation of the minds of all of its young citizens is anti-Semitic. I have listened to the experiences of literally thousands of Israelis in Israel and India over the years. My heart reaches out for them.
The flight to India is often the first step in the genuine transformation of the lives of more and more Israeli citizens. A small army of post India wallahs bring the value of the best of 5000 year old India to the 60 year old state of Israel. Israelis come from India espousing non-violence, Gandhian values and moderation in lifestyle. They question beliefs in the common Jewish perception of themselves, monotheism, the Creator God and the self indulgence of consumerism. They return to Israel deeply immersed in a variety of expressions of Indian spirituality – teachings of the Buddha, Vipassana, meditation, yoga, advaita, ashrams, vegetarian diets and inter-religious understanding. Indian culture, music, dance, literature, clothes gradually permeates Israeli society. They play Arab music at home, enjoy contact with the Arab community, read Rumi and carry their identity as Jews or Israelis lightly. These young Israelis propound a philosophy of love and wisdom. The State doesn’t understand. Parents don’t understand.
The young Jews flying home to Israel with renewed vision and energy are challenging in a non-confrontational way the narrow ideology used to uphold the Jewish/Zionist state of Israeli. I have heard on numerous occasions in Israel that the “Arabs want to push us unto the sea.” The young of Israel with a wealth of spiritual experiences from their journeys to India might push Israel towards the ocean of peace.
Could the Israeli government be fearful of this emerging spiritual army of young Israelis with a vision free from the religious orthodoxy of Jerusalem and the rampant consumerism of Tel Aviv.
The Indian government should encourage all young Israelis to come to Mother India – not set limits!