India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, on Thursday sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to Israel’s Parliament — the Knesset — calling it an “unabashed defence” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asserting that it diminished India’s moral standing.

Modi delivered the landmark speech on February 25, 2026, during a two-day state visit aimed at deepening ties between India and Israel. The address marked the first time an Indian Prime Minister has spoken in the Knesset, a milestone highlighted by warm diplomatic gestures, including Modi being conferred with the Speaker of the Knesset Medal, Israel’s highest parliamentary honour.

In his speech, the prime minister emphasised India’s solidarity with Israel in the face of terrorism, condemning the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and asserting that “terrorism anywhere threatens peace everywhere.” He expressed condolences for lives lost and described the “Gaza Peace Initiative” as a path toward “just and durable peace” in the Middle East. His comments underscored India’s growing strategic and defence cooperation with Israel.

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However, the Congress criticised Modi’s statements as overly supportive of Netanyahu’s government at a time of deep regional and global scrutiny over the Israel-Gaza conflict. Congress General Secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the prime minister’s remarks appeared to defend his host and overshadowed India’s traditional diplomatic emphasis on balanced engagement between Israelis and Palestinians. Ramesh also invoked historical correspondence between India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and physicist Albert Einstein to reiterate concerns about impartiality in India’s foreign policy.

Back in India, senior Congress leaders, including MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had urged Modi ahead of the speech to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and explicitly mention the suffering of civilians — reflecting wider domestic debate on India’s stance amid the enduring conflict.

The exchange highlights the political sensitivity in India over its Middle East diplomacy. While the government frames Modi’s address as advancing strategic partnership with a key ally, opposition voices argue it risks alienating constituencies concerned about human rights and a balanced global policy approach. Analysts note this domestic political dynamic will likely continue shaping debate on India’s foreign relations.

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