The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has caused a rift in the Indian Congress party. The party released a statement expressing its support for the rights of the Palestinian people, which has been criticized by the BJP, who is known for its support of Israel. The BJP accused the Congress of supporting terrorism and playing politics for minority votes.
The Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, expressed its dismay and anguish over the war and reiterated its support for the Palestinian people’s rights. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya criticized the Congress, stating that their resolution on the Israel war showed how Indian foreign policy was influenced by minority vote bank politics.
Sources have revealed that the Congress’ statement on the Israel-Hamas war highlighted divisions within the party. The inclusion of the section on the war was a major point of contention and was not part of the original draft. It is unclear how it ended up being released. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was reportedly against including it in a resolution that focused on the party’s position on the caste census.
The disagreement between the parties arose from the Congress not mentioning acts of terror committed by Hamas fighters who crossed into Israel and carried out attacks. The Congress’ statement on Palestine came shortly after the BJP shared a video montage of terror attacks on Indian soil to criticize the Congress.
Both parties have been attacking each other on this topic. The Congress pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi commented on the Middle East crisis within hours but took months to address ethnic violence in Manipur. PM Modi has also spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming India’s support for Israel.