The Congress party on Thursday strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his address to Israel’s Parliament, calling it “an unabashed defence” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Modi had addressed the Knesset on Wednesday.
“I carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered,” Modi said in his speech. “We feel your pain. We share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond. No cause can justify the murder of civilians. Nothing can justify terrorism.” He also emphasised that “terrorism anywhere threatens peace everywhere” and described the Gaza Peace Initiative as a path toward a “just and durable peace” in the region.
Congress Highlights Historical Context
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh criticised the Prime Minister’s speech as one-sided. “In his address to the Knesset — which was an unabashed defence of his host — the Prime Minister drew attention to the fact that India recognised the new state of Israel on the day he was born,” Ramesh said. He noted that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had taken a balanced approach to the Israel-Palestine issue, showing sympathy for both Jews and Arabs.
Ramesh referred to Nehru’s July 11, 1947, letter to physicist Albert Einstein, in which Nehru expressed concern over imposing solutions on either side and warned that forced submission would only prolong conflict. “While he had a very great deal of sympathy for the Jews, he also felt for the Arabs in their predicament,” Ramesh noted. The Congress leader added that Nehru and Einstein later met in Princeton in 1949 and continued correspondence on issues including nuclear weapons until Einstein’s death in 1955.
Modi Recalls Personal Connection and Solidarity
During his Knesset address, Modi highlighted a personal connection with Israel, stating, “Nine years ago, I had the good fortune to be the first PM of India to visit Israel, and I am very happy to be here again. I always felt drawn to this land. After all, I was born on the same day that India formally recognised Israel.”
Modi received a standing ovation as lawmakers chanted “Modi Modi” in the Parliament. While expressing India’s solidarity with Israel, he strongly condemned terrorism and paid tribute to the victims of the Hamas attack on October 7.
