Coronavirus: Israels PM Benjamin Netanyahu Encourages Israelis To Ditch Handshake & Adopt Namaste

2020-11-04 18

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has found a way to greet people without touching amid the spread of the deadly coronavirus. On March 3, PM Netanyahu encouraged his countrymen to opt for ‘Namaste’ instead of handshake. In India, ‘Namaste’ is the customary way to greet each other. “Just avoid shaking hands as I do. You can try to implement the Indian system of Namaste or say another word like shalom, but find a way, any way of not shaking hands,” said PM Benjamin Netanyahu, reports PTI. PM Benjamin Netanyahu is known to be close to PM Narendra Modi and therefore his familiarity with Indian customs is not surprising. PM Netanyahu visited India in January 2018 while PM Modi travelled to Tel Aviv in 2017. 15 confirmed cases were reported from Israel and around 7000 others are in home –quarantine. 28 cases have been confirmed in India. Coronavirus which originated from Wuhan city in China has now spread to over 60 countries.