Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “shameful silence” on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, labeling it a “cowardly betrayal” of India’s constitutional values and a “height of moral cowardice.” In an op-ed published in Dainik Jagran titled Gaza Sankat par Mookdarshak Modi Sarkar, Gandhi condemned Israel’s actions as a “genocide” aimed at ethnically cleansing Palestinians, urging Modi to break his silence and uphold India’s legacy as a champion of global justice.

Gandhi unequivocally denounced Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 and saw 251 hostages taken, calling it “barbaric” and unjustifiable. However, she argued that Israel’s response—resulting in over 55,000 Palestinian deaths, including 17,000 children, and the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure—constitutes a “criminal” man-made tragedy. She highlighted Israel’s blockade, which has restricted food, medicine, and fuel, as a “strategy of forced starvation” and a crime against humanity. The Israeli Defense Forces’ firing on civilians seeking food, acknowledged even by Israel, and the rejection of UN aid further underscore the crisis, she said.

Drawing parallels to the 1948 Nakba, when 700,000 Palestinians were displaced, Gandhi accused Israel of pursuing colonial and real estate-driven motives. She criticized the international system’s failure, noting that UN resolutions for a ceasefire and the International Court of Justice’s January 26, 2024, order to prevent genocide have been ignored, enabled by U.S. support. Countries like South Africa and Brazil have challenged Israel at the ICJ, while France, Britain, and Canada have taken steps like recognizing Palestine or sanctioning Israeli leaders. Even former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has admitted to war crimes, Gandhi noted.

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India’s silence, Gandhi argued, tarnishes its historical role as a voice against colonialism and apartheid, citing its recognition of the PLO in 1974 under Indira Gandhi and the State of Palestine in 1988. She emphasized India’s constitutional duty under the Directive Principles to promote international peace and respect for law, accusing Modi of abandoning the two-state solution India has long supported. “The Global South looks to India for leadership on this humanitarian crisis,” she wrote, calling Modi’s inaction a “national shame.”

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed Gandhi’s sentiments on X, urging Modi to speak “clearly and boldly” to restore India’s moral standing. The opposition’s broader critique, voiced by leaders like Jairam Ramesh, points to Modi’s ties with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as a reason for his reticence, especially after Israel’s map controversially depicted Jammu & Kashmir as part of Pakistan. The BJP has rejected these claims, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar asserting India’s balanced approach, evidenced by $2.5 million in UNRWA aid in 2024 and support for Palestinian statehood at the UN.

As Gaza’s death toll climbs and famine looms, Gandhi’s call for India to act as a diplomatic bridge in West Asia, leveraging its ties with both Israel and Palestine, underscores a deepening political divide over Modi’s foreign policy.

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