Modi housed at world’s most secure suite in Israel

BY 

INDRANI BAGCHI

, TNN | UPDATED: JUL 05, 2017, 06.46 AM IST

Ritz said they cleared out 110 rooms of the hotel to accommodate Modi and his delegation 

JERUSALEM: PM Narendra Modi will sleep without a care in the world. He has been kept in the most secure suite in the entire planet. "His suite is secured against bomb attacks, chemical attacks, everything," said Sheldon Ritz to TOI. Ritz is the director of operations in King David Hotel and has been in charge of the entire PM's visit. "If the entire hotel is bombed, PM's suite will be untouched, will come down in a pod." 

Ritz said they cleared out 110 rooms of the hotel to accommodate Modi and his delegation. "We have hosted every US president in this century, from Clinton, Bush, Obama and, three weeks ago, Trump. And now we are hosting Mr Modi." In respect to Modi's "vegan" food habits, the hotel made sure the cookies in his suite are eggless and sugarless. Even the flowers are what the Indian delegation wants. 

Modi's suite has its own kitchen just in case his valet is asked to rustle up something for him at the last minute. "I believe he is eating Gujarati food," Sheldon Ritz said. "We got a list of food ingredients necessary to cook Indian food for the Prime Minister. The ingredients are all kosher, because in this hotel all food has to be kosher." They got almost all the stuff except just a few items which were probably not kosher. The kitchens are being ruled by Rina Pushkarna, who is cooking dishes that are suitable for Modi's palate. "Its all very spicy," Ritz said, "Our hotel has been filled with the aroma of spices these last few days. Wonderful," he breathed. 

Ritz himself has been downing Indian food, remembering his childhood in Durban, where he went to an Indian-run hotel management school. Sheldon Ritz said there is very good reason for the King David hotel suite to be so secure. "Our hotel is part of Dan Hotels, and one of the owners is Michael Federmann, whose company, Elbit Systems makes the drones and the avionics. We are the best," he said with evident pride. The first Dan Hotels in India is coming up in Bangalore, though probably not nearly as secure.