New Delhi: The Left parties Wednesday strongly opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, alleging that the trip comes at a time when Israel is “waging a genocidal war in Gaza” and amounts to betrayal of the Palestinian cause.
In a statement issued here, the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) accused Israel of continuing strikes in Gaza despite a ceasefire, resulting in civilian casualties. It said the visit would “legitimise the murderous regime” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The CPI(M) strongly opposes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel. The visit comes at a juncture when Israel has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza,” the party said.
“Despite a ceasefire, there are daily violations by Israel, which conducts strikes killing scores of Palestinians. In the occupied West Bank, there are stepped-up attacks on Palestinians and a spurt in illegal settlements,” it said.
The party said that the declared intent of the visit is also to deepen strategic, military and economic ties with a “Zionist expansionist regime” which seeks to dominate the region with the help of the United States.
“The visit is all the more inopportune because it is taking place at a time when the United States is preparing to attack Iran militarily at the instigation of Israel,” it said.
“Through the visit, the BJP government has once again laid bare its shameless commitment to the US-Israeli axis in West Asia,” it added.
CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby, in a post on X, called the visit a betrayal of India’s anti-colonial legacy.
“Modi’s embrace of Zionist Israel amidst its relentless genocidal assault on Palestine is a betrayal of India’s anti-colonial legacy and our long-standing position in support of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, reaffirmed by UN resolutions that India has co-sponsored and voted for,” Baby said Tuesday night.
The CPI(M) leader called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and alleged that Modi was going to “dance and sing to his tunes.”
“War criminal Netanyahu has now announced that India will cooperate in security issues, and Modi is going to Israel to dance and sing to his tunes. This unholy alliance will be an indelible blot on our nation’s soul. Shame!” he said.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, in a statement, said the visit is a disgraceful act of complicity in the ongoing genocidal assault on the Palestinian people.
“At a time when Palestinian civilians are being massacred, displaced, and starved under a brutal Israeli occupation, this visit amounts to political endorsement and profiteering on Palestinian blood,” it said.
“After mortgaging India’s sovereignty and strategic autonomy to Trump’s racist agenda, Modi is now completely surrendering India’s historic legacy of anti-colonialism and solidarity with the oppressed by visiting Israel,” it said.
The CPI(ML)L said West Asia stands at a dangerous flashpoint, with the US-Israel criminal axis escalating imperialist threats and pushing the region towards a wider war with Iran.
“Instead of unequivocally demanding an end to imperialist threats in the region and across the world, including Venezuela and Cuba and the dismantling of Israeli occupation and apartheid structures, the Modi regime is going all out to please Trump and his imperialist cohort — Israel,” it said.
The Left party alleged that since assuming office in 2014, the Modi regime has systematically imported Israeli models of repression to consolidate its own politics of hate at home.
“From bulldozer demolitions and collective punishment tactics against minorities and marginalised, to the expansion of illegal surveillance infrastructures, the BJP’s fascist politics has found a role model in Israel,” it said.
“Modi’s visit to Israel and mortgaging India’s historic solidarity with suffering and oppressed peoples in favour of models of repression and racism, dishonour and desecrate the sacrifices of our martyrs who fought colonialism and apartheid,” it added.
Modi arrived in Israel Wednesday for a two-day visit during which he will have discussions with his counterpart, Netanyahu, address the Israeli Parliament, Knesset, and interact with the Indian diaspora.
In his departure statement, the prime minister said India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism, and he is looking forward to his meeting with Netanyahu.
