Congress chief Jairam Ramesh. File | Photo credit: PTI
Congress on Saturday (March 28, 2026) said Israel was pursuing its vision of a “Greater Israel” under the guise of a war in West Asia, ending any hope of a Palestinian state, and criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not raising his voice against his actions in the West Bank.
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Houthis fire first rocket at Israel, triggering alarm in Negev, IDF says
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said that 28 days had passed since the start of the US-Israeli aerial bombardment of Iran and the Iranian counter-offensive.
“In the past four weeks, while the world’s eyes have been on the Strait of Hormuz and the energy infrastructure of the Gulf countries, Israel has (i) continued its brutalities against the people of Gaza; (ii) launched operations to create a large buffer zone for itself in southern Lebanon; and (iii) taken decisive steps to turn its annexation of the West Bank into a permanent occupation,” Mr. Ramesh told X.
“The current war in West Asia provides cover for Israel to advance its vision of a Greater Israel and also ends any hope for a Palestinian state,” he said.
“The US-Israeli bombing of Iran began just two days after Mr. Modi left Israel. What we don’t realize is that just days before he got there, the Israeli cabinet approved the registration of land in about half of the occupied West Bank for the first time since 1967,” Ramesh said.
“This would lead to the dispossession of thousands of Palestinians. But Mr. Modi does not have the courage to raise his voice and speak the truth to his good friend Benjamin Netanyahu,” the Congress leader said.
The Congress strongly criticized Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel last month, despite the country’s “relentless” continuation of attacks on civilians in Gaza.
The opposition party said the Modi government had made cynical and hypocritical statements about its commitment to the Palestinian cause, but had in fact abandoned them.
“Israel’s dispossession and displacement of thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has intensified and sparked worldwide condemnation. Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza continue mercilessly,” Ramesh said earlier.
Published – 28 March 2026 11:30 AM IST
