On Sept 23, 1918, Mysore Lancers, the personal army of the erstwhile Maharaja, played a crucial role in winning one of the greatest battles of World War-I. The Cavalry Brigade was ordered to capture Haifa; the area to be captured lay between Kishon River and Mount Carmel. The Jodhpur Lancers entered the field from the south while the Mysore Lancers moved around and attacked the town from east and north. They had to take on the Turks, who were supported by German machine gun troops and Austrian soldiers manning field guns. One set of Mysore Lancers attacked the Austrian battery after climbing a steep slope of Mount Carmel. The rest of the Mysore Lancers joined forces with the Jodhpur Lancers to launch the main attack on German machine gunners from behind. The road to Haifa had been opened. The Jodhpur Lancers then charged into the town, while the Mysore Lancers provided fire support and followed them into Haifa. There are about 800 graves of Indian soldiers in Israel today.
Quote from Consul General Menahem Kanafi
Today, we commemorate Haifa Day to pay respect to the two brave Indian Cavalry Regiments that helped liberate Haifa city in 1918, following a dashing cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade. The friendship and shared history by the two countries is growing even further as we cooperate and work together to build a better future.