An award-winning surgeon of Indian origin and his family have become the first Israelis to apply for Overseas Citizenship of India, amid a flurry of enquiry calls at the Indian mission in Tel Aviv.
Dr Lael Anson Best, a specialist in Thoracic surgery at the Rambam Medical Campus in Haifa, and his wife and daughter were the first to apply for the dual citizenship scheme from among the 70,000-strong Indian community in Israel.
As news of the highly anticipated overseas citizenship scheme sunk in, the country's mission has been fielding frantic enquiry calls from people of Indian origin regarding its formalities.
"It is a matter of pride to get connected to my roots. We eat Indian food at home and are Indians in thoughts, action and taste and it is a matter of great joy for me", Best told PTI after applying for citizenship.
"I am seen as an Indian here and it gives me a distinct identity. Any Indian patient is immediately directed to me because of that connection. I had also immediately grabbed the opportunity to get the PIO card the moment I came to know about it," he said.
Best, who is fluent in Hindi and Gujarati, completed his Master of Surgery degree from University of Gujarat before immigrating to Israel in his twenties. The surgeon went on to win the 'Outstanding Award of Excellence' in his field from the Israeli president and prime minister.
Others are also enthusiastic about the new scheme.
"We have always taken pride in our Indian origin, which was one of the rare places where Jews didn't feel threatened in exile, and there was complete lack of anti-Semitism," bus driver David Nagani said.