Israel’s Ambassador to India questions Sonia Gandhi over her ‘love for Iran’, says politicians should be informed and have awareness of regional situations
Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has reacted strongly to the opinion piece written by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in The Hindu newspaper in favour of Iran. In the article, Sonia Gandhi extended support to the Islamic Republic of Iran amid the ongoing conflict with the Jewish State of Israel. She said that India should support Iran against Israel and blamed the Modi government for not choosing sides and maintaining diplomatic balance.
Acknowledging Gandhi’s right to express her views, the Israeli ambassador added that leaders like her should be aware of the regional (Middle East) situation. He emphasised that three decades of Iranian aggression in this region cannot be ignored.
He said, “We are disappointed to see that the one you mentioned (Sonia Gandhi) did not condemn the attacks of 7 October 2023 (Hamas attack) as should have been done. Ignoring the aggression carried out by Iran for the last three decades is completely unacceptable.”
In her article, Sonia Gandhi portrayed Iran as the victim of Western hegemony and Israeli aggression. She talked about taking Iran’s side in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Gandhi advised the Modi government to ‘speak in a responsible and loud voice’ and also raised questions about India’s alleged silence. Gandhi said that Iran has been India’s long-time friend while strategic relations with Israel are recent.
Additionally, she also accused the Modi government of abandoning the foreign policy supporting the two-nation theory that envisioned an independent Palestine. She accused Israel of violating Iran’s sovereignty and taking unilateral action. She also accused Israeli PM Netanyahu of constantly disturbing peace and promoting terrorism. Advocating for Iran, she wrote, “In 1994, Iran helped block a resolution critical of India at the UN Commission on Human Rights on the Kashmir issue.”
Indian government has maintained a neutral stance during the Israel-Iran conflict and has urged for peace in the region.
India has always been a supporter of peace. Be it the Ukraine-Russia war or the Israel-Iran war, India has talked about peace. In his recent visit to Cyprus, Prime Minister Modi reiterated that war cannot solve any problem in this century and that every problem can be solved through peace only.
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