‘Zionism Murdabad’: Asaduddin Owaisi slams PM Modi’s Israel visit, raises Gaza ‘genocide’ charge

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing to visit Israel and embrace a ‘war criminal’ Benjamin Netanyahu, who has a warrant against him. The visit, Owaisi said, betrays India’s own longstanding support for the Palestinian people.

“Gaza’s genocide will be remembered forever. The fact that India’s Prime Minister chose to visit Israel at this time and embrace a war criminal with a warrant against him, betrays India’s own longstanding support for the Palestinian people,” the Hyderabad MP said in a post on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Israel on a two-day state visit today, 25 February. This is PM Modi’s first visit to Israel as prime minister since 2017, before his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu reciprocated with a visit to India the following year.

“Maybe the US will attack Iran after the PM’s visit is over. Zionism Murdabad,” Owaisi added.

The AIMIM leader shared his past speeches at political rallies and in Parliament, in which he had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Gaza for 15 minutes during his visit.

PM Modi’s visit, at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marks his second to Israel, following his 2017 trip, during which he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country.

Among other engagements, Modi met Netanyahu for a private dinner and addressed Israel’s parliament, the Knesseton Wednesday, the first day of his second trip to Israel as prime minister.

The Prime Minister will also call on Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel.

Owaisi has been critical of Israel and accused it of committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza. In September last year, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry said Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

The new report said there are reasonable grounds to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law have been carried out since the start of the latest phase of war with Hamas in 2023: killing members of a group, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to destroy the group, and preventing births.

The Gaza Conflict

While large-scale fighting between Israel and Hamas stopped under the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” agreed in October last year, there has not yet been a final political settlement. The ceasefire halted major combat operations but left core issues — governance, reconstruction, hostages, and long-term security arrangements — unresolved.

What’s the Indian stand on Palestine been?

India’s position on Palestine and Gaza is officially based on a two-state solution, balancing support for Palestinian statehood with strong strategic ties to Israel.

India supports the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestineliving side by side with Israel in peace and security within recognized borders.

While India has condemned terrorism and the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel, it has expressed concern over civilian casualties in Gaza.

India formally recognized Palestinian statehood way back on 18 November 1988.

Before 2014, any official visit from India to Israel would also include a visit to Palestine. PM Modi, however, skipped the stop at Palestine that was part of previous official visits in his first visit to Israel in 2017.

This time, too, PM Modi is not traveling to Palestine.

Priyanka Vadra condemns visit

PM Modi’s Israel trip has faced criticism from other opposition leaders too.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the Gaza conflict when he addresses the Israeli Parliament, Knesset, during his two-day visit to Israel. Vadra called for justice for innocent victims and emphasized India’s historic commitment to truth and peace on the global stage.

“I hope that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentions the genocide of thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza while addressing the Knesset on his upcoming trip to Israel and demands justice for them,” Gandhi, the Wayanad MP, wrote on X ahead of PM Modi’s two-day state visit to Israel that began on Wednesday.