Israel approves appointment of Reuven Azar as new Ambassador to India
Jerusalem (PTI): The Israeli government on Sunday approved the appointment of Reuven Azar as the new Ambassador to India.
Azar, who is in his late 50s, will also serve as the non-resident Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Bhutan, a statement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
His appointment is one of the 21 new Heads of Missions cleared by the Israeli government to assume service soon.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, congratulating the new appointees, said they will "represent Israel and its citizens, strengthen its economy and strengthen international support for the State of Israel".
Azar is currently serving as the Ambassador of Israel to Romania. It is not yet known when he will take charge in New Delhi.
Azar will replace Naor Gilon, who has been serving as the Israeli ambassador to India since 2021.
Azar has earlier served as Head of the Israel-US-China internal task force at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, immediately after serving for three years as Deputy National Security Advisor for Foreign Policy at the National Security Council and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel.
From 2014 to 2018, Azar was Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC.
He also served as the Head of Middle East Research in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2014 and as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Amman from 2010 to 2012.
Since the completion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cadet training programme in 1994, Azar mostly held Middle East-related positions such as Head of the Iran Sanctions Team and Director of Middle East Economic Research.
He has also covered different aspects of cooperation and negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, as well as research on Palestinian issues during his almost three decades of service.
Azar served four years in Cairo as Head of the Economic and Trade Department at the Embassy of Israel.
In an earlier stint in Washington from 2003 to 2006, he served as Counsellor for Political Affairs.
Azar was born in Argentina in 1967 and made Aliyah (immigration) with his family to Israel at the age of 13.
He served in a paratroopers battalion of the Israeli Defence Forces from 1985 to 1988 and was a reservist combat Sergeant up to 2008.
He has a graduate and post-graduate degree from the Hebrew University in International Relations.
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Will take legal course if film is stopped: Vivek Agnihotri on release of 'The Bengal Files' in WB
Kolkata, Aug 18 (PTI): Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on Monday said he would go the legal route if the release of his film "The Bengal Files" is stalled in West Bengal.
The trailer launch of the film in Kolkata was disrupted on Saturday. Agnihotri claimed the event was first cancelled by a multiplex and then moved to a hotel where power supply was disrupted and police turned up asking if permission had been taken.
"We will go by the Constitution. We will go legally. If they stop us, we will take the legal course. What can we do? We are common citizens like you... We will pray that sanity prevails and the state government does not do it (stop the release)," the filmmaker said at a press conference here while hitting out at the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal.
"The Bengal Files", which is slated for release on September 5, revolves around the Calcutta riots of August 16, 1946, which were triggered after the All-India Muslim League called for 'Direct Action Day' to demand a separate homeland.
"...This is an Indian film. I am telling you the truth," Agnihotri said.
Known for films such as "The Kashmir Files" and "The Tashkent Files", Agnihotri also addressed the many controversies surrounding his latest release, including an FIR by Gopal Chandra Mukherjee's grandson Santanu Mukherjee.
Gopal Mukherjee is said to have played a pivotal role in the resistance against the Muslim mob violence in 1946. Santanu claims Agnihotri's film refers to his grandfather as a butcher.
Agnihotri said Gopal Mukherjee in his film is an inspired character and not central to the plot.
"I will not go into his history. Watch Santanu's interview. I can give you all the links. There is an interview of Gopal Mukherjee on BBC. In that interview, what he has said, we have only shown that much. I have nothing to do with Gopal Mukherjee's life, politics. He was a hero and I have shown him as a hero," he said.
"I respect Gopal Mukherjee a lot. His grandsons work with TMC. There is a compulsion there... They have done it legally. We are giving a legal answer to that," he said.
Agnihotri claimed the film is his attempt to reveal hidden truths. He said he aims at showing "the untold stories of India".
"Our purpose is very clear. I make films on Hindu civilization. That is why I make films on Hindu history. I do not consider myself capable of making films on Islamic history or Christian history," he said, adding that filmmakers like Mani Ratnam and Vishal Bhardwaj have already made movies on the Islamic history of Kashmir through "Roja" and "Haider".
Agnihotri said the censor board passed "The Bengal Files" without any cuts though it went through the examining committee and then the revising committee.
"This film was made with a lot of responsibility and sincerity. No one can object to this. Bengalis will be proud of this film."
"The Bengal Files" stars Mithun Chakraborty, Saswata Chatterjee, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Darshan Kumar.
