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Asserting that India needs to demonstrate leadership on the issue of Palestine, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has has slammed the Modi government’s stance, saying its response has been characterised by a ‘profound silence’ and an abdication of both humanity and morality.
She said the government’s actions appear to be driven primarily by the personal friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and rather than India’s constitutional values or its strategic interests.
‘This style of personalised diplomacy is never tenable and cannot be the guiding compass of India’s foreign policy. Attempts to do the same in other parts of the world, most notably in the United States?, have come undone in the most painful and humiliating ways in recent months,’ Gandhi said in her article published in The Hindu.
This is the third article by Gandhi on the Israel-Palestine conflict, published in a national daily in the recent past, in which she has vehemently criticised the Modi government’s stance on the issue.
“India’s historical experience, its moral authority and its commitment to human rights should empower it to speak, advocate and act in favour of justice – without delay or hesitation. The expectation is not of partisanship in this conflict, of choosing between Israel and… pic.twitter.com/AjQiiqU1cN
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 25, 2025
India’s standing on the world stage cannot be wrapped up into the personal glory-seeking ways of one individual, nor can it rest on its historical laurels. It demands persistent courage and a sense of historical continuity, she said in her article titled ‘India’s muted voice, its detachment with Palestine’.
Gandhi pointed out that France has joined the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal and Australia in recognising Palestinian statehood — ‘the first step in the fulfilment of the legitimate aspirations of the long-suffering Palestinian people’.
More than 150 of the 193 countries that are members of the United Nations have now done so, she said.
Gandhi underlined that India had been a leader in this regard having formally recognised Palestinian statehood way back on November 18, 1988, after years of support to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).
She cited the examples of how India raised the issue of Apartheid South Africa even before Independence and during the Algerian struggle for independence (1954-62), India was one of the strongest voices for an independent Algeria.
In 1971, India intervened firmly to prevent genocide in what was then East Pakistan, midwifing the birth of modern-day Bangladesh, she pointed out.
On the critical and sensitive issue of Israel-Palestine as well, India has long maintained a delicate but principled position, emphasising its commitment to peace and the protection of human rights, the former Congress chief said.
India needs to demonstrate leadership on the issue of Palestine, which is now a battle for justice, identity, dignity and human rights, Gandhi asserted.
