CPI(M) Polit Bureau member MA Baby has called out the Israeli government for being “extremist”, and even accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “engineering” the bombardment in Gaza.
Baby, who is former education minister of Kerala, told News18 in an interview that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have given the statement to the effect that “hostilities must end on both sides” in the Israel-Palestine war but instead he chose to support Israel.
When asked if the INDIA bloc, whose sub-committees have CPI-M as member, agrees with his statement on Israel, Baby said the alliance does not have to come to conclusion on all issues. “We have a lot of differences that need to be discussed.”
Edited interview
Q: What is the reason that you have criticised the decision of the Narendra Modi government to express solidarity with Israel?
A: The question of Palestine is not something new to the Government of India. Even during the freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi had opined on this issue and extended solidarity to the freedom movement of the Palestinian cause.
The first government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru after Independence had also extended solidarity to the Palestine cause. Not just that, we did not recognise Israel nor did we have any diplomatic relationship with it.
Q. But that has changed subsequently?
A: That has changed subsequently, no doubt. But during the major part of the existence of independent Indian, we did not have any diplomatic relationship with Israel. Indian passport was not used to travel to that country. Let me not go into the technical details. Later, during the early 90s, when PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, there were certain exchanges (with Israel). Then, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s BJP government, further closer moves have happened (with Israel).
Now, the relationship is that PM Modi is embracing Netanyahu who is under the scanner of the investigative agencies of Israel. If that due process moves in the right track, he will be convicted and go to the jail. To avoid that, he has brought in a constitutional change in Israel where by Parliament with a simple majority can overturn the Supreme Court verdict. Something the Modi government is also willy-nilly trying to do in a different manner. And the Supreme Court judges, political parties and media have been opposing this.
So, for Netanyahu, aggravating the relationship with Palestine is something that he needs for managing his internal political difficulties. He has formed the most rabid right-wing government with all sorts of extremist forces. Hamas is a militant organisation, and you can call it extremist as well. By the same yardstick, you have to define the Netanyahu government as an extremist government because how people speak about the Hamas attack on October 7. People write that Israel is supposed to have the most efficient and powerful secret investigative agency Mossad. How could they carry out this assault? Even India is buying spyware from Israel.
Q: Why do you think it was wrong on the part of Modi to express solidarity with Israel? What else could he have done?
A: He (Modi) could have had a different position or approach (on the issue). He could have said the hostilities should come to an end. Armed attacks and counter attacks will not solve Palestinian problems or what the Israelis are facing. They are also facing problems for which negotiations should take place.
Our point is people are talking about Hamas carrying out the attack. Yes. They did.
Q. Do you condone that?
A: No, I don’t condone that. But I cannot turn a blind eye towards the fact that this year, 248 Palestinians, including 40 children, have been murdered by Netanyahu and his people. No media talks about that. Nobody is asking a question. What Hamas did was a reaction to the systematic attack and murder of Palestinian people. This Gaza is like an open jail. They don’t have any access to the outside world. So, people of Gaza, including people of Hamas, just like Netanyahu government is an extremist, have managed to develop this missile but is of a very poor quality. But they have been able to strike.
So, what should to be done? There was a UN resolution on Palestine, which was adopted with the support of many countries including India. Who is violating it? Israel. What is the crux of the UN resolution on Palestine? Israel should withdraw from all the occupied land of Palestine. Then, Israel should cooperate with the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is the crux of the UN resolution.
Now, you know if you have to go to Gaza, or West Bank, the so-called areas under Palestinian authority, that is a dubious term, is being used. If you have to go there, what is the travel certificate visa? You have to take visa from Israel. How ridiculous it is. If somebody wants to come to India, do they have to take their visa from Sri Lanka, Burma, Nepal or Bangladesh or Pakistan? No. But this is the reality of Palestine nobody notes. In such a situation, PM Modi’s statement should have been drafted by him. We never abandoned the Palestinian cause but supported only Israel. When we (CPI-M) supported Israel on some issues, we would say we uphold the legitimate rights of Palestinians, we sympathise with them and support them. But Narendra Modi did not do that.
Q: Do you think your statement is going to cause friction within the parties that call themselves the INDIA bloc?
A: No. The INDIA bloc parties have not come to any conclusion on each and every issue. We should have a common approach. We have a lot of differences. For example, Congress has been following economic policies which CPI-M never accepted. The economic policy is important for the lives of peasants, workers, unemployed youth and women. We have differences there. But we have total unanimity in seeing that this RSS-controlled government led by Modi should be removed sooner than later. There we agree. On many other issues, we have differences, which we will discuss when it can be.
Q: Election dates for the five states – Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana — have been announced. What is the position of CPI-M? How vigorously is it going to contest in these states?
A: CPI-M will discuss with other parties. If there are possibilities to discuss with other non-BJP political parties, we would do that. This has to be done from the objective situation in each state. This is done by the state committees. On the basis of the state committee’s discussion and consultation with other parties, a report will be made. We would be in the electoral fray. We would be explaining to the people if we are contesting as the Left cooperation, how the party is different from BJP and othes. Our primary consideration would be to ensure BJP is not coming back to power in the states ruled by them.
Q: Would there be seat-sharing talks for state elections?
A: All that will be discussed in each state. We do not directly interfere with that. There will be differences from state to state.