Mid-Day Opinion: We should be a more welcoming city

I look forward to more soldiers from the Israel Defence Forces turning to Bombay as a safe haven: A place of rehabilitation where they can recover and go back refreshed to doing what they do best. Representation pic/istock

There has been a lot of negative chatter over the past few weeks about the presence of people from Israel in some parts of India. Questions are being raised (mostly by young Indians who can read) about why soldiers who spend time in the Israel Defence Forces feel the need to detox in Asian countries like ours. Much has also been written about a route known as the ‘Hummus Trail' where small Indian towns have been catering to these travellers.

I don't have anything to add to these complaints, except for one about why Bombay is losing out as a potential tourist destination by not being welcoming enough to these special tourists from a foreign land. Where, I ask, is the spirit of kindness and hospitality that we were once renowned for?

It doesn't make much sense for Indians to have a problem with soldiers from another country just because they may or may not have killed people. If we really had a problem with anyone accused of murder, we all know how different our own Parliament would be today. This brings me to the conclusion that these complaints come either from misinformation or just bigotry. Take Kasol, for instance, a small village in Himachal Pradesh that is popular among young Israelis who like hanging out in ‘white-only' restaurants. Several of these establishments allegedly refuse to serve local Indians, which has upset a few of them. I don't see this as a problem because it makes perfect sense for soldiers to feel comfortable among other soldiers who have been through a traumatic experience.

Consider that in February this year, a study by The Lancet Global Health medical journal declared that more than 75,000 Palestinians had been killed in the first 15 months of Israel's military assault on Gaza. The peer-reviewed study also found that women, children, and the elderly comprised 56.2 per cent of violent deaths during that period. It stands to reason that the people responsible for all these deaths will only find comfort in the company of other murderers. The presence of innocent Indians will only put them off and compel them to take their Shekels to another country. A Shekel is worth approximately 31.62 rupees today, so this isn't something to sneeze at because if there's one thing Indians have been known to value more than morality or humanity, it's money.

It's also important to remember that these ‘white-only' spaces could be a cultural thing, reminiscent of settlements on the West Bank, where Israelis have long grown accustomed to claiming other people's homes as their own. It all seems perfectly harmless, and I think we should look at it from that perspective instead of creating posts about ‘racism against Indians' on Reddit.

This sort of rhetoric is also starting to appear in Goa, where Indian tourists are annoyed about the increasing number of Israelis taking over beaches or opening cafés for their countrymen. I believe it's a missed opportunity for Bombay because if 80,000 Israeli tourists visit India every year, shouldn't a few thousand of them spend their money and time in our city too? The government of Maharashtra has a budget allocated for the development of tourism, and I think it would do well to portray Bombay as a kind of wellness retreat where soldiers recovering from war crimes can find peace, kindness, and pav bhaji.

We need to keep in mind that in May 2026, the Israeli military was held responsible for the killing and maiming of Palestinian children, with UN agencies documenting incidents that included children being shot, stabbed, beaten, and pepper-sprayed. If India can't offer these poor traumatised soldiers relief from these horrific acts that they are undoubtedly being forced to commit through no fault of their own, who will?

By now, more than 50 countries have explicitly accused Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide at international tribunals. If a country is increasingly isolated by every other country on Earth, it is important for India (and Bombay, in its own way) to step up and stand on the right side of history.

Our honourable Prime Minister has pointed us to the side he prefers, and it is our duty as patriots to follow him with our eyes and mouths wide shut. In the years to come, I look forward to more soldiers from the IDF turning to Bombay as a safe haven: a place of rehabilitation where they can recover and go back refreshed to doing what they do best.

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He can be contacted at www.lindsaypereira.com
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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.