Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday strongly criticised the Centre over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel, questioning its timing amid escalating violence in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
In a statement posted on X, Ramesh condemned what he described as Israel’s intensified “dispossession and displacement of thousands of Palestinians” in the West Bank, which he said had drawn global condemnation. He also accused Israel of continuing “merciless” attacks on civilians in Gaza.
Expressing concern over reports of a possible wider conflict, Ramesh warned that Israel and the United States could be planning air assaults on Iran.
Against this backdrop, he questioned the Prime Minister’s decision to engage with Israeli leadership. “Yet the Prime Minister is going to Israel tomorrow to embrace his good friend Mr. Netanyahu,” Ramesh wrote, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also alluded to a “Modani connection,” without elaborating further.
Ramesh noted that Netanyahu is facing serious corruption charges and added that some members of Israel’s Opposition have threatened to boycott Modi’s address to the Israeli Parliament, citing concerns over the alleged erosion of judicial independence in Israel.
The Congress leader further accused the Modi government of inconsistency in its foreign policy. “The Modi government makes cynical and hypocritical statements on its commitment to the Palestinian cause. The reality is that the Modi government has abandoned them,” he said.
He recalled India’s historic support for State of Palestine, noting that India was among the first countries to recognise Palestine on November 18, 1988. Ramesh emphasised that previous Indian governments had balanced diplomatic ties with Israel while continuing to support Palestinian statehood.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions in West Asia, with the Gaza conflict drawing global diplomatic attention. The Prime Minister’s visit to Israel is expected to focus on strategic, defence, and economic cooperation, but it has also sparked political debate in India over its longstanding position on the Israel–Palestine issue.