Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu To Gift Water Desalinisation Jeep To 'Friend' Modi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present a special gift - the Gal-Mobile water desalinisation and purification jeep - to his friend Narendra Modi during his visit to India starting January 14, according to sources in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu and Modi waded into the Mediterranean Sea and rode the "buggy" jeep on the coast during the latter's visit to Israel in July last year.

Now, Netanyahu is going to gift the same jeep to Modi, informed sources said.

As Netanyahu prepares for his four-day visit to India, sources confirmed that the jeep has "indeed" left for India and "would be arriving on time" to be presented by the Israeli Prime Minister to Modi.

The jeep is said to cost around 390,000 shekels (approximately $111,000).

Modi and Netanyahu had witnessed the demonstration of sea water purification technology pioneered by Israel at a water desalination unit on the Olga Beach during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Israel.

"I am thankful to Bibi (Netanyahu) because the vehicle which I saw today, particularly during a natural calamity when people are suffering (shortage of) drinking water...Can provide drinking water," Modi had said after the demonstration.

Gal-Mobile is an independent, integrated water purification vehicle, designed to produce high-quality drinking water. It can be useful in natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, military use in difficult terrain and rural areas to provide drinkable water.

It can purify up to 20,000 litres per day of sea water and 80,000 litres per day of brackish/muddy or contaminated river water and bring it to WHO standards.

The camaraderie between the two leaders was on full display as they spent some time on the beach and had a long chat standing ankle deep in the waters with waves hitting their feet.

"There's nothing like going to the beach with friends!," the Israeli leader had later tweeted.

The two leaders later drove together in the mobile water desalination unit, which looked like a dune buggy, and sipped desalinated water from wine glasses, raising a toast with others present.

(PTI)