CDS Bipin Rawat was 'hero son of India & his demise is a 'loss of friend': Israeli envoy

Ambassador of Israel to India Naor Gilon on Thursday said that the demise of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat is a “loss of a friend”. While speaking to ANI, Gilon said that General Rawat was a “hero son of India” and “champion of very strong defence relations between Israel and India”. He added that the top Israeli leadership who knew CDS Rawat “valued his friendship”. 

“Gen. Rawat was a hero son of India and champion of very strong defence relations between Israel and India. For us, it is a loss of a friend. The top leadership of our country knew him, valued his friendship,” Gilon said. 

“13 people lost their life with Gen Rawat. You saw in the reactions from Israel coming from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, former PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, Minister of Defence Benny Gantz, Speaker of Parliament, Mickey Levy,” he added. 

Further, the Israeli envoy also went on to say that everyone who knew CDS Rawat, appreciated him and valued his friendship because it's part of the alliance between Jerusalem and New Delhi. Gilon said that for Israel, the “military side and the defence side things are very close to our heart”. General Bipin Rawat “touched us at many levels,” he added. 

CDS Rawat killed in tragic chopper crash 

The India Air Force on Wednesday had announced that an IAF Mi 17 V5 helicopter with a crew of 4 members carrying the CDS and 9 other passengers met with an accident near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Hours later, the IAF then confirmed that the CDS was among those who had died in the unfortunate accident. The helicopter crashed around noon shortly after it took off from the Air Force base in Sulur, Coimbatore, for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills. 

In total, 14 people were onboard the chopper that met with the accident. Apart from CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat, others who lost their lives included Defence Assistant to CDS Brigadier LS Lidder, SO to CDS Lt. Col. Harjinder Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Lance Naik B Sai Teja and Havaldar Satpal. IAF’s Group Captain Varun Singh is the only survivor of the IAF chopper crash.

Following the tragic accident, the IAF team investigating the chopper crash successfully recovered parts of the Mi 17 V5 helicopter. The black box of the Indian Air Force helicopter has been found. It is to mention that the black box, which is under evaluation, can now reveal the data about the chopper’s final flight situation and other aspects. Meanwhile, the last rites of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and Brig LS Lidder will now take place at Brar Square cemetery on December 10. 

(With inputs from ANI)