India’s Palestine policy in last 20 months lacks moral rectitude: Ramesh

As Australia, Canada, and the UK moved to recognise Palestine as a state, the Congress on Sunday, 21 September, struck out at the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of abandoning India’s proud legacy.

The party said that for the past 20 months, New Delhi’s stance on Palestine has been nothing short of “shameful” — a retreat into moral cowardice from a nation that once stood tall for justice and humanity.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh remarked that Australia, Canada, and the UK have only now awakened to recognise Palestine as a state — with many more nations likely to follow in their footsteps before long.

India formally recognised Palestinian statehood way back on 18 November 1988, he pointed out.

"But India's policy in regard to Palestine -- especially for the past 20 months -- has been shameful and one of moral cowardice," Ramesh said on X in an apparent reference to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reminded that India was among the earliest nations to raise its voice for justice, standing tall in November 1988 as one of the first to recognise Palestine as a state.

"At the time, and in fact all along the valiant struggle of the Palestinian people, we showed the world the way by standing for what was right and upholding the values of humanity and justice on the international stage," she said on X.

Australia, Canada and the UK have only just followed suit, 37 years too late, she said.

"And here we are now -- our policy towards Palestine in the last 20 months has been nothing less than shameful and devoid of moral rectitude. It's a sad diminishment of a previously courageous stand," Priyanka Gandhi said.

The Congress leaders’ remarks followed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s declaration on Sunday that the UK would at last recognise a Palestinian state — a move made in defiance of loud opposition from both the US and Israel.

Starmer's announcement followed those from Canada and Australia, in what appears to be a coordinated initiative by the Commonwealth nations, according to media reports.

The Congress last month said it "very strongly deplores" the Modi government's "complete silence on Israel's unacceptable actions".

Also in August, Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the Israeli state is committing a "genocide" and slammed the Indian government for standing "silent" as Israel "unleashes devastation" on the people of Palestine.

Earlier this month, India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution backing the 'New York Declaration' that calls for a peaceful settlement of the Palestine issue through the two-state solution.

India's policy towards Palestine has been longstanding. It has always supported a negotiated two-state solution, which would see the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, living side by side in peace with Israel, minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha in July.

India has strongly condemned the terror attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, and the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, he said.

Singh stated in July that India remains deeply concerned over the fraught security situation, urging a ceasefire, the safe release of all hostages, and a just resolution of the conflict through patient dialogue and principled diplomacy.

With PTI inputs