Haifa [Israel], October 1 : The annual commemoration ceremony marking the liberation of Haifa by Indian cavalry in 1918 was held on Monday at the British Military Cemetery in Haifa, Israel. The event was attended by the Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav, the Indian Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, and other senior officials.
This is a story of heroism revealed from the depths of history and of a warm diplomatic and cultural alliance, connecting the streets of Haifa to a central square in Delhi.
Among the carefully carved tombstones, officers in uniforms, diplomats, public figures, and residents gathered at British Military Cemetery in Haifa to pay their respects to an almost unbelievable story: the liberation of Haifa, on September 23, 1918, in the last and greatest cavalry charge in history, carried out by Indian soldiers.
The renewed recognition of this heritage is largely attributed to efforts by the Haifa History Association, led by Yigal Graeber. For years, the story of the heroism of the Indian cavalry, who charged with only lances in the face of machine gun fire from the Ottoman army, was almost forgotten.
"The person who revealed the story in 1993 was the late Professor Yitzhak Gordon," says Graeber, "but it was forgotten and fell into oblivion. In 2010, we revealed it again, and today we are already at the 15th ceremony."
On the Indian side, the importance is no less, perhaps even greater. Indian Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, said in his speech, that "In Delhi, we have a square called 'Teen Murti Haifa Chowk' - Haifa Square. Every year, we hold a ceremony there."
Vijay Patil, the Indian Air Force attache in Israel, said: "Haifa Day is an important milestone in Indian history. The bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers...have been immortalized in the history books."
He further said: "I hope they will be remembered forever, not only in the hearts of Indians, but also in the hearts of Israelis."
This connection is not only historical, but also personal and deep. Rina Pushkarna, founder of the Tandoori restaurant chain and daughter of Indian immigrants, said: "This is my first time here. My father came from India and settled here...To suddenly discover this courageous connection between Haifa and Indian history is amazing."
Rina's story illustrates how this heritage is not just the preserve of history books, but flows through the veins of the Indian community in Israel, adding flavor and color to the special bond.
Mayor Yona Yahav described how the city of Haifa itself was unaware of the depth of the story until recent years. "We thought we knew everything about the history of this city," he said, adding, "and suddenly Yigal Graeber came and told us... and it was a shock. At that moment, I decided that this city was going to immortalize this story."
This decision made Haifa Liberation Day part of the city's official narrative, strengthening ties in an unprecedented way.
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