Terror attacks need wider condemnation not sermonizing

From the editor’s desk

India and China’s diplomatic successes will now be tested after Hamas launched an attack on Israel, provoking Israel to declare war against the Palestinian militant group. This attack by Hamas on Israel must go down in history as one of the bloodiest of attacks killing more than 1,300 Israelis. The Hamas group also took several Israelis as hostages after pulling out women, children, the elderly, and even the infirm from their dwelling places. While China has been projecting itself as the champion of world peace, brokering a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia so as to facilitate reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries after a dealsigning ceremony in China a few months back, quite curiously, its President Xi Jinping has yet to publicly condemn the Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the ruthless killing of Israeli civilians. On the contrary, China has issued a statement that calls for restraint by both sides, and a restart of peace talks along the lines of a two-state solution. The Chinese foreign ministry statements have only vaguely condemned "any acts that harm civilians”. In fact, as media reports suggest, China’s state television channel CCTV has laid more emphasis on Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip in its coverage of the Middle East conflict, without endeavouring to give any balanced coverage to the happenings there. The mention of Hamas’ acts of terror on Israeli civilians has been conspicuous by its absence.

China’s reluctance to condemn Hamas for its acts of terror on Israel has not gone unnoticed.

As media reports quoted Yuval Waks, who is a senior official at the Israeli embassy in Beijing, as saying that the day after the attacks, Israel had expected to see a "stronger condemnation" of Hamas from China, especially when China happens to be one of Israel's top trading partners. Waks clearly spelt out his frustration, which represented that of the entire Israel, when he told reporters that when people are being murdered and slaughtered in the streets, it is hardly the time to make a reference to the two-nation solution. China’s lukewarm response to the Hamas attacks and its remarks are somewhat similar to Russian President’s comments, making suggestions for a restraint, and referring to the two-nation solution.

It is highly inappropriate for a country like China to talk about restraint and a solution to the conflict, when it has been relentless in breaching India’s borders in a blatant act of aggression. Also, it has threatened to attack Taiwan. A responsible international power ought to walk the talk, rather than profess what it seldom itself follows.

India has, on the other hand, always kept a balanced approach, forging strong trade and defence relations with Israel, and at the same time showing support for the Palestinian causes. But terror attacks of any kind ought to be condemned, irrespective of who caused it and on whom.

After the Hamas attacks, the Indian Prime Minister wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he was "deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour."

Later, when Modi received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Indian Prime Minister expressed India’s solidarity with Israel. Modi also issued a statement after the call, saying, “India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." This has been India’s consistent position on terrorism. It has been a victim of terrorist attacks many times in the past, 26/11 attacks in Mumbai being one of the worst in memory. Therefore, India has always maintained that terrorism in any form is against humanity. In a recent statement, Modi has once again reiterated that this is not the era of war.

It is interesting to ponder over the fact that while India did not have any diplomatic relations with Israel till 1992, India and Israel relations have strengthened after Modi became the Prime Minister. In fact, Israel has always wanted close relations with India, and on several occasions assisted India with intelligence inputs. But the Indian leaders in the initial years of India’s Independence, and even afterwards for many years. had their sympathies only with the Palestinian cause, considering Palestinians a victim of British imperialism. Now both India and Israel have strong relations.

Unlike China and Russia, India does not believe in giving a sermon to a country that has just recently been brutally attacked by a militant group. This is certainly not the time to tell Israel to sit across the negotiating table when it is being relentlessly attacked. All terror attacks must be stopped, and sanity must return in Gaza. Only then can there be any meaningful talks about finding a viable solution to the conflict in the Middle East.