On Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the "Knesset Medal" for his contribution to the Israeli and Jewish people.

Within hours, and predictably so, headlines in the Indian press proclaimed that Israel had presented Modi with its highest parliamentary honour.

But there were a few problems with the award.

No one had ever heard of such an award until it was announced during Knesset speaker Amir Ohana's opening remarks. And until the gold-plated bronze medal was draped around Modi's neck, no one had ever seen it.

According to members of the Israeli opposition, Ohana had simply "invented" it. Before Modi's visit, it didn't exist.