New Delhi, February 24: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the Prime Minister’s proposed visit to Israel, questioning the timing of the trip amid escalating violence in Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that Israel’s “dispossession and displacement of thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has intensified and drawn worldwide condemnation,” and claimed that “Israel’s attacks on civilians in Gaza continue mercilessly.”
He further expressed concern over reports of possible military escalation in the region, stating, “Israel and the US are planning air assaults on Iran.”
Against this backdrop, Ramesh criticised the Prime Minister’s planned engagement with Israeli leadership.
“Yet the Prime Minister is going to Israel tomorrow to embrace his good friend Mr. Netanyahu,” he wrote, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ramesh also alluded to what he described as a “Modani connection,” without elaborating further.
The Congress leader pointed out that Netanyahu “faces very serious corruption charges” and claimed that sections of Israel’s Opposition were threatening to boycott the Prime Minister’s address to the Israeli Parliament in protest against what they allege is an erosion of judicial independence in the country.
Ramesh accused the Modi government of inconsistency in its foreign policy stance. “The Modi government makes cynical and hypocritical statements on its commitment to the cause of the Palestinians,” he said. “The reality is the Modi Govt has abandoned them.”
He underscored India’s historical position on Palestine, noting that India was among the earliest countries to recognise the State of Palestine on November 18, 1988. Successive Indian governments, he suggested, had traditionally balanced ties with Israel while supporting Palestinian statehood.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions in West Asia, with the conflict in Gaza continuing to draw international attention and diplomatic concern. The Prime Minister’s visit to Israel is expected to focus on strategic, defence, and economic cooperation, though it has also triggered political debate at home over India’s long-standing position on the Israel-Palestine issue : UNI
