Pro-Palestine org: India must cut ties with Israel

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: Members of civil society demanded that India suspend all ties to Israel similar to what the country’s policy had been towards apartheid South Africa. They added that the cutting of ties should be holistic and extend to the realm of diplomacy and security, arguing that the transfer of military technology had enabled the oppression of commoners under Indian rule and filled the coffers of Israel, which then used the funding to carry out “genocide” of Palestinians living in Gaza which began a year ago on October 7, 2023. India-Palestine Solidarity Forum (IPSF) made the demands at the All India Trade Union Congress (AIUTC) office in Bengaluru’ Seshadripuram on Monday. Bengaluru For Justice And Peace (BFJAC) members moderated the event.

IPSF said that they had been forced to change the venue at the eleventh hour due to pressure from Bengaluru police. The original venue was the Institute of Agricultural Technologists on Queen’s Road. Palestinian ambassador to India Adnan Abu Al Hija addressed the crowd through video call while writer Shivasundar, IPSF general secretary Firoze Mithiborwala, IPSF president Sunilam and People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) general secretary Aishwarya R spoke in person. An official IPSF statement demanded “a full embargo on Israel as India did in the case of apartheid South Africa. India imposed a complete (diplomatic, commercial, cultural and sports) embargo on Apartheid South Africa. The state of Israel is currently on trial at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the crime of genocide.

ICJ has pronounced Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian Territories as illegal and recognised it as apartheid.” IPSF demanded that India “cancel or defer licences to companies (which include public and private sector companies) supplying military arms and equipment to Israel, stop import of and joint ventures on weapons and surveillance technology that have or will be used on Palestinians and Indians, end ties with the Israeli government and agencies in training Indian police or security forces, and for joint.” They also demanded that India avoid “from entering into new tie-ups with Israeli institutions, terminate existing collaborations with Israel and boycott all Israeli state officials” and “withdraw Indian workers from Israel and halt further recruitment.”

Netanyahu govt extreme: Envoy Adnan Abu Al Hija said that the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was extreme and was pushing Palestinians to the brink.“This government became the most extreme government led by Netenyahu with (Itamar) Ben Gvir, the security minister and the finance minister Mr (Bezalel) Smotrich. During the first 11 months of this government, they have killed 260 people in the West Bank. They daily attack the Al Aqsa mosque. I think they know the sensitivity of Al Aqsa mosque,” he said. Mithiborwala on the other hand argued that there was incendiary fake news from mainstream news organisations with regard to the October 7 Palestinian attacks in which Israeli prisoners were taken. He was referring to news of Palestinian groups beheading “40 babies” and scores of women being raped.