The Prime Minister made no mention of Palestinian rights in the initial statement, Sonia Gandhi wrote condemning India’s decision to skip UN vote.
Congress former president Sonia Gandhi condemned India’s abstention on the United Nations vote calling for a truce in Israel and said the Congress’s stance on the issue of Israel and Palestine has been consistent over the years. In an editorial in The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi wrote: “Contrary to some mischievous suggestions, the position of the Indian National Congress has been long-standing and principles: it is to support direct negotiations for a sovereign independent, viable and secure state of Palestine coexisting in peace with Israel.”
“This is also the stand taken by the Ministry of External Affairs on October 12, 2023. It is noteworthy that the reiteration of India’s historic position on Palestine came only after Israel began its assault on Gaza. The Prime Minister had made no mention of Palestinian rights in the initial statement expressing complete solidarity with Israel,” Sonia Gandhi wrote.
“The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to India’s abstention on the recent United Nations General Assembly Resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities” between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza,” Sonia Gandhi wrote in a piece titled ‘A war where humanity is on trial now’.
On both Israel and Palestine sides, many want dialogue and consider it to be the only way forward, Sonia Gandhi wrote calling it unfortunate that many influential countries are being wholly partisan.
“It is unfortunate that many influential countries are being wholly partisan when they should be trying utmost to end the war. The loudest and most powerful voices should be for a cessation of military activity. Otherwise, this cycle will continue and make it difficult for anyone in the region to live in peace for a long time to come,” Sonia Gandhi wrote.
India abstained from voting on the Jordan-drafted resolution that called for a truce in Israel but did not condemn Hamas’s attack. India voted in favour of an amendment proposed by Canada to insert a paragraph condemning Hamas. India explained that the terror attack deserved to be condemned and hence it abstained from the voting. External affairs minister S Jaishankar said India’s stance against terrorism is very strong. “We will have no credibility if we say that when terrorism impacts us, it’s very serious; when it happens to somebody else, it’s not serious. We need to have a consistent position,” Jaishankar said.
