New Delhi: The Congress Tuesday took strong exception to Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar’s pushback against Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s sharp criticism of Israel’s continuing military action in Gaza, calling it “unacceptable”.
At the same time, the principal opposition party said it did not expect the Modi government to condemn Azar’s statement, as it has so far shown “extreme moral cowardice” in speaking out against Israeli military aggression that has drawn global outrage.
“The Indian National Congress condemns the words used by Israel’s Ambassador to India in response to the pain and anguish expressed by Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP, on Israel’s continuing genocide in Gaza. It is too much to expect the Modi Govt, which has shown extreme moral cowardice when it comes to speaking out on Israel’s destruction of Gaza over the past 18-20 months, to take serious exception and objection to the Ambassador’s response. We do and find it totally unacceptable,” Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, also slammed Azar, saying the party does not need the “lecture” of the Israeli ambassador.
“It (the Congress) is a firm believer in the two state solution. The nation of Gandhi and Nehru has always believed in non-violence and peace. The Indian National Congress party does not need the lecture of the Israeli Ambassador,” Gogoi posted on X.
India was the first non-Arab state to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1974 as “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”.
India formally recognised Palestinian statehood in 1988.
The Congress also received support from Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) should reprimand the Israeli envoy.
“Earlier too I had wanted to move a privilege motion against the Polish Ambassador (now former) for his tweet attacking me, but after a discussion with the Minister of External Affairs chose not to raise it. However this is emboldening them to speak to Indian parliamentarians in this tone and tenor while in our own country. This is unacceptable,” Chaturvedi said.
Azar’s response to Vadra, who has been highly critical of Israel’s assault on Gaza, came on her statement in which she accused the Israeli state of committing genocide, “murdering over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children”.
“It has starved hundreds to death including many children and is threatening to starve millions. Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself. It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine,” Vadra wrote on X.
Azar hit back at the Wayanad MP, claiming that Israel killed “25,000 Hamas terrorists”. He suggested that civilians had become collateral damage as Hamas “hides behind civilians,” and shoots people “trying to evacuate or receive assistance and their rocket fire”.
“Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to sequestrate them, thereby creating hunger. Gaza population has grown 450% in the last 50 years, no genocide there. Don’t buy Hamas numbers,” Azar wrote in his response.
Meanwhile, in another post, Vadra also condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Israeli air strikes.
“The immeasurable courage of those who dare to stand for the truth will never be broken by the violence and hatred of the Israeli state. In a world where much of the media is enslaved to power and commerce, these brave souls reminded us of what true journalism is…” she wrote.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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I just love it when Sourav Roy Barman acts like a fanboy of the Gandhi family. Kharge and Ramesh are getting old. Hopefully, the Congress will consider Sourav and Apoorva Mandhani (a fangirl of the Gandhi family) as substitutes for Kharge and Ramesh.
The Congress never lets go of a chance to shame the nation. If left to it, the Congress would ruin our relationship with Israel. Just to appease it’s Muslim votebank.
Priyanka as a Wayanad MP should focus on wayanad and Kerala and not focus on israel or any of our supporting countries,is she is too concerned of human lives why is she quiet about Sudan or Yemen or Iran many such humanitarian disaster countries.so it shows pure votebank politics to support terrorist and get votes here in wayand shame shame shame