Congress MP for Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, said on Wednesday the issue of Israel and Palestine’s conflict is not as simplistic with multiple factors at play. He added that while the prime minister’s statement supported Israel, India however, wishes both the warring sides to live in peace and dignity.
"First of all, the entire situation has been provoked by the surprise attack by Hamas during the national holiday in Israel...it was a terror operation. They killed innocent civilians, children, elderly people, and youth attending a music festival. It really was impossible to accept any justification for what Hamas did. I certainly join in the condemnation of the terrorist act…,” said the Congress leader.
“At the same time while we understood the Prime Minister standing up for Israel showing solidarity at this time of great grief and this horror that has been visited upon them, we felt that his statement was incomplete... It's a difficult situation for the Palestinians, especially since settlement building, and construction of new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied territories have been continuing unabated all these years…,” he said.
Tharoor added, “I say this only because for us and the Congress party and for traditionally for India, the position is very clear – we want both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and dignity behind secure borders and conditions where neither has to fear for their lives at any time... The death toll on both sides is mounting every day... We want to see this matter halt and peace be restored."
Tharoor’s comments come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of India’s support. He said that India unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
PM Modi had first posted about India’s support to Israel on October 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel. “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” he had said soon after the attacks.
The discourse on social media as well as on media has blamed both Israel and Hamas for the conflict. While a faction condemned Hamas for its atrocities against Israeli civilians, a faction blamed Israel for its continuous provocations that led to the conflict.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the failure of US’ policy in the Middle East for the attacks. He said that the US tried to monopolise the resolution and force both sides to adopt its ideas without taking into consideration the interests of the Palestinian people.
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