India’s opposition parties have mounted fierce criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Israel, calling the trip a betrayal of India’s historic foreign policy principles and a display of “moral cowardice” at a moment of intense global scrutiny of Israeli policies.
The visit has drawn fire at home even as Modi seeks to strengthen strategic cooperation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including defence, technology and bilateral ties.
On Wednesday, Modi also addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, a historic first for an Indian leader.
Modi told the Knesset that India stands with Israel “firmly with full conviction”.
The main opposition, the Indian National Congress, accused Modi of exhibiting “moral cowardice” by flying to Israel while much of the world criticises its genocide in Gaza.
Congress leaders said the decision to embrace Netanyahu at a time when civilian suffering in Gaza and the occupied West Bank continues will tarnish India’s consistent diplomatic stance on Palestinian rights and international law.
Left-leaning parties launched even more scathing criticism.
The Communist Party of India argued that the trip would “legitimise” what it described as Netanyahu’s “murderous regime” and deepen India’s alignment with what it called a “Zionist expansionist regime”.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPIML) also denounced the trip, characterising it as a “disgraceful act of complicity in the ongoing genocidal assault on the Palestinian people.”
It accused the government of mortgaging India’s sovereignty and strategic autonomy to align with Israel.
Friendship with a war criminal
The party said that Netanyahu is a “war criminal” and alleged that Modi was effectively aligning himself unquestioningly with the Israeli leader.
“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!” The Print reported, quoting a CPIML official.