It should be noted that the Iranian attacks specifically targeted two major Israeli cities, Tel Aviv and Haifa. Earlier, Iranian state TV reported that dozens of Iranian missiles and drones had been launched at Tel Aviv, Haifa and other Israeli cities. Haifa is a northern coastal city in Israel where a large port and oil refinery are also located. Let’s try to find out what are the reasons behind targeting the Israeli city of Haifa and what special connection this city has with India. Jaffa is the third largest city in Israel and this city located in the northern part of Israel is very important not only in terms of population but also from an economic point of view. The city is also home to high-tech companies. Be it Microsoft, Google or Intel, all high-tech companies have their offices in Haifa. Jaffa also has Israel’s largest oil refinery, which makes the economic role of this city even more important. Apart from the oil refinery, Haifa also has Israel’s main port, which makes the city important in many ways. The port of Haifa is very important. A lot of goods come and go from there. And if we look at it from a historical perspective, Israel’s first contact with the outside world was established from this city. A port in Haifa was acquired by the Indian-based Adani Group in 2023, whose owner Gautam Adani has close ties to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is considered one of the richest people in Asia. The Adani Group owns 70 percent of this port, while an Israeli business group owns 30 percent.
This city, with a population of about four hundred thousand, is also considered a model of coexistence. Iran is targeting the cities that are most strategically important. and are of economic importance. Jerusalem has not been touched to this day because it is a holy place for many religions. Cities like Haifa and Tel Aviv are densely populated and are considered the backbone of the Israeli economy. Talking about the relationship between India and Haifa, its roots are connected to a historical story of the year 1918. During the First World War, the Indian cavalry troops fighting on behalf of Britain played a key role in defeating the combined forces of Turkey, Germany and Austria-Hungary in the city of Haifa. This history has gained fame in Israel. This history is taught in schools in Haifa. If you ask children who is the hero of Haifa, they will name Major Dalit Singh. Major Dalit Singh, the commander of the Jodhpur Lancers, was killed in this war and was later awarded the British military award Military Cross. In this battle, 44 Indian soldiers were killed while fighting on behalf of the British government, which is also seen as an example of the last major battle of cavalry in history. The Indian Embassy and the Haifa Municipality celebrate Haifa Day together every year.When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited here, he also went there and paid tribute to the Indian soldiers. The name of the Three Statues Chowk in Delhi was changed to the Three Statues Haifa Chowk some time ago. In the year 2018, a ceremony organized in this regard was also attended by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
