'Humanity On Trial Now', Says Sonia Gandhi As India Abstains From Voting In UN On Israel-Hamas War

The Congress has expressed strong opposition to India's recent abstention on a UN resolution regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to former party chief Sonia Gandhi. Emphasizing that her party had unreservedly condemned the attacks by Hamas, she underscored the tragedy's gravity, which is exacerbated by the Israeli state's current pursuit of retribution from a population that is, for the most part, both helpless and blameless.

In an article published in The Hindu on Monday, 30th October, Mrs. Gandhi emphasized the party's unwavering stance in supporting direct negotiations for a sovereign, independent, viable, and secure state of Palestine coexisting in peace with Israel.

Reflecting on the situation, she asserted that "humanity is on trial now," calling for the most influential voices to advocate for a cessation of military activities.

She lamented the collective suffering caused by both the brutal attacks on Israel and the Israeli military's indiscriminate operations in and around Gaza saying, "We were collectively diminished by the brutal attacks on Israel. We are now all diminished by Israel's disproportionate and equally brutal response. How many more lives will have to be taken before our collective conscience is stirred and awakened?"

She also noted that Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel on 7th October, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. This attack resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand people, primarily civilians, and the kidnapping of over 200 individuals.

Gandhi also said, "The unprecedented attack was devastating for Israel. The Indian National Congress strongly believes that violence has no place in a decent world, and the very next day unequivocally condemned Hamas's attacks,"

The former Congress president further stressed that the Indian National Congress has consistently maintained that both Palestinians and Israelis have the right to live in a just peace. She also pointed out that this tragedy is exacerbated by the Israeli military's "indiscriminate operations" in and around Gaza, resulting in thousands of casualties, including a significant number of innocent children, women, and men.

"The power of the Israeli state is now focused on exacting revenge from a population that is largely as helpless as it is blameless. The destructive might of one of the world's most potent military arsenals is being unleashed upon children, women and men who have no part in the Hamas assault; they, instead, for the most part, have been at the heart of decades of discrimination and suffering", she said in her coloumn.

While acknowledging the importance of India's friendship with the people of Israel, she also underscored the painful history of Palestinian dispossession and years of suppression of their basic rights.

In articulating the Congress's stance on the Israel-Palestine issue, she stressed that peace is unattainable without justice. She highlighted that Israel's relentless blockade, which has endured for more than fifteen years, has transformed Gaza into what she described as an "open-air prison." This has severely impacted its two million residents, who are crammed into densely populated cities and refugee camps.

Gandhi stressed that, "In Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israeli settlers backed by the Israeli state have continued to push out Palestinians from their own land in a seeming effort to destroy the vision of a two-state solution. Peace will come only if the world, led by countries that have the ability to influence policies and events, can restart the process of restoring the two-state vision and make it a reality,"

She also affirmed that the Congress has maintained a consistent stance over the years, firmly believing in the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis to live in a state of equitable and just peace.

"We value our friendship with the people of Israel. But this does not mean that we erase from our memories, the painful history of forced dispossession of the Palestinians from what was their homeland for centuries, and of years of suppression of their basic right to a life of dignity and self-respect," she wrote.

Gandhi further added, "Contrary to some mischievous suggestions, the position of the Indian National Congress has been long-standing and principled: it is to support direct negotiations for a sovereign independent, viable and secure state of Palestine coexisting in peace with Israel,"

She also noted that it was the same stand taken by Ministry of External Affairs on 12th October 2023.

"It is noteworthy that the reiteration of India's historic position on Palestine came only after Israel began its assault on Gaza. The Prime Minister had made no mention of Palestinian rights in the initial statement expressing complete solidarity with Israel,"

Over India's abstention on the recent UNGA resolution, she said, "The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to India's abstention on the recent United Nations General Assembly Resolution calling for an 'immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities' between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza,"..."It is unfortunate that many influential countries are being wholly partisan when they should be trying their utmost to end the war. The loudest and most powerful voices should be for a cessation of military activity,"

Furthermore, the former Congress chief cautioned that if this cycle of violence persists, it will create enduring challenges for the entire region in achieving sustained peace. She highlighted the grim reality of this conflict, noting that entire families have been tragically lost, and neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble as a consequence of the ongoing hostilities.

She said, "The denial of water, food and electricity is no less than the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. The outside world, particularly those who want to help, is largely blocked out of Gaza, with relief and aid reaching the needy in a trickle, and not on the scale that is necessary,"

"Not only is it inhumane but it is also illegal in international law. Very few Gazans are untouched by the violence. Bottled up on a small, over-densely populated strip of territory, they have nothing to fall back upon. And now, even the occupied West Bank has flared up and the conflict is widening," she pointed out.

Observing the troubling outlook for the future, Gandhi mentioned that senior Israeli officials have openly discussed plans to destroy and depopulate significant portions of Gaza. She also highlighted the disconcerting use of "dehumanizing language" by the Israeli Defence Minister, who referred to Palestinians as "human animals." This choice of words is particularly shocking, given that it comes from descendants of those who were themselves victims of the Holocaust, she added.

She asserted that "the Israeli government is making a grievous error in equating the actions of Hamas with the Palestinian people"

With a resolute goal to eliminate Hamas, Gandhi noted that this determination has led to widespread and indiscriminate death and destruction among the ordinary populace of Gaza.

She further said, "Even if the long history of the suffering of the Palestinians is ignored, by what logic can a whole population be held responsible for the actions of a few?"

In the recent United Nations resolution concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict, India decided to abstain from voting. This action has sparked significant debate and reactions from various quarters. Opposition parties argue that India's abstention contradicts the country's traditional stance on such matters. Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has emphasized India's unwavering commitment to opposing terrorism.

In the devastating series of events on 7th October, Hamas carried out unprecedented attacks on Israel, resulting in the tragic loss of over 1,400 lives and the hostage-taking of more than 220 individuals. In response, Israel launched retaliatory strikes. The Health Ministry in Gaza, which is under the control of Hamas, reported that since 7th October, over 7,700 Palestinians have lost their lives. These events have had profound and far-reaching consequences in the region.