'Profound moral decline': Netizens blast Modi for whitewashing genocide in Knesset speech

Social media has been flooded with condemnation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for defending Israel's bloody war on Gaza and his remarks that New Delhi stands by Tel Aviv “with full conviction” despite the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

On Wednesday, Modi addressed the Knesset, or parliament, on the first day of his two-day trip to the Israeli-occupied territories, and received a standing ovation while emphasizing India’s unwavering support for Israel.

“India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond,” Modi said, as he condemned the historic Al-Aqsa Flood Operation against the Israeli regime as “barbaric.”

In his own Knesset speech, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked India for “standing by” Israel in the wake of the October 7 operation, and said Tel Aviv and New Delhi shared “common interests”. He described Modi as “more than a friend, a brother”.

The Indian prime minister asserted their relations are “vital” for trade and security, and hailed “synergy” on artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and other topics.

People immediately took to social media to bitterly denounce Modi’s speech to the Knesset, which was the first of its kind by an Indian premier to the Israeli legislature.

Prashant Bhushan, a public interest lawyer and activist, argued that Modi has turned India into a "satellite of genocidal Israel," also pointing to American financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's alleged role in India-Israel ties.  

An X account named Siddharth equated Modi’s Knesset speech to accepting a state honor from Nazi Germany in the 1940s.

The communist Indian political party (CPI(ML)L) also condemned Modi’s visit to the Israeli-occupied lands as a disgraceful act of complicity in the ongoing genocidal assault on the Palestinian people.

Another user named Ashish Barua also lambasted Modi’s address to the Israeli parliament as “a profound moral decline and a blatant disrespect for the legacy of Indian freedom fighters, who sacrificed their lives in the struggle against colonization and racism.”

International Arbitration and Legal Documentation Consultant Saif Alam expressed shame over Modi’s visit to the Israeli-occupied lands, emphasizing that the 75-year-old politician does not represent the Indian nation, as the people hate the Tel Aviv regime and its policies.

Mohit Chauhan sharply criticized Modi for overlooking the undeniable facts about Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, the blockade of food, water, and electricity, the massacre of individuals seeking food to eat, as well as the record killings of aid workers and journalists.

Another user, Zhao Dashuai, also highlighted that any support for Israel's actions is tantamount to supporting genocide and mass murder.

“Modi has sent a strong signal, India stands against a multipolar world, India is against the global south, India is willing to be a stooge of the current hegemonic powers of the West,” the Chinese geopolitical commentator and educator wrote.

Additionally, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) denounced Modi’s visit to the Israeli-occupied territories.

Independent analyst Shanaka Anslem Perera wrote that Modi’s visit and his deals with Israeli officials are “never about diplomacy.”

He warned that Netanyahu is actually “buying an alliance” through an offer to fully transfer technology for the so-called Iron Dome and Iron Beam missile systems to India.

Sakshi Narula, an author, also pointed to Modi’s undermining national Indian sovereignty.

Despite the fact that more than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 171,000 others injured as a result of the brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, Modi defended Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Sabria Chowdhury Balland, Co-founder of the Coalition for Human Rights & Democracy in Bangladesh, wrote.

Finally, a user named as Hussain slammed the greeting of the Indian leader by Netanyahu at Ben Gurion airport, arguing that New Delhi forges ties with a regime whose criminal record is beyond barbarism.

India ranks as Israel’s top arms purchaser, investing $20.5 billion in Israeli military equipment from 2020 to 2024. In 2024, commerce between the two, primarily centered on military affairs and security, and reached $3.9 billion

Modi has received criticism for his support for Israel during its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk