CPI(M) slams Modi govt for hosting Israel minister Bezalel Smotrich

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday strongly condemned the visit of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to India, calling it a shameful act.

Smotrich, known for his far-right views and advocacy for occupying the Gaza strip by forcibly displacing Palestinians, led an Israeli delegation to sign a bilateral investment agreement with the Indian government, the Left Party said in a statement.

Advertisement

“The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) condemns the visit of Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich to India… It is shameful that the Modi government has hosted such a person and signed agreements with the Israeli government at a time when the people of Gaza are being massacred every day,” the CPI(M) stated.

Smotrich’s visit has sparked controversy due to his extreme views on Palestinians. He has been a key advocate for Israel’s expansionist policies, including the annexation of the occupied West Bank. Several countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, Norway, Netherlands, Slovenia, and New Zealand, have banned his entry or imposed sanctions due to his involvement in ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

The CPI(M) has demanded that the Indian government rescind all military, security, and economic collaboration with Israel until it agrees to an immediate ceasefire and works towards a just and peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question.

This criticism highlights the deepening ties between the Modi government and the Netanyahu government, which the CPI(M) views as complicity in Israel’s actions against Palestinians.

The party’s stance is consistent with its long-held views on the Palestinian cause. In 2017, the CPI(M) criticized PM Modi’s visit to Israel, stating that it virtually abandoned the Palestinian cause and ruptured India’s stand on Tel Aviv being an occupying power of Palestinian territories.