Indian PM says India won’t take sides as Gaza toll rises to 518

Times of India ^ | 21 July 2014 | PTI

[Cronos]

Asserting that India's policy on Palestine issue remains unchanged, government on Monday refused to take sides over the Gaza conflict as it said Israel and Palestine should have peace talks and forestalled a resolution in Rajya Sabha which was demanded by the opposition.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said the House should not be divided but send out a joint message that wherever there is violence, it is condemnable and both Israel and Palestine should accept Egypt's offer of peace talks.

She was replying to a short-duration debate on Gaza situation during which opposition condemned the violence in Gaza, pressed for adoption of a resolution, demanded suspension of all military purchases from Israel and wanted India to raise the issue at the UN.

[Cronos]

From the comments section:

• I think BJP should have given complete support to Israel...why indian govt support Palestinian cause??
• I have no idea on world policy but this much I can say : If you are the 1st to kill teenagers and the first to launch rocket attacks then by sheer justice you can hardly complain when the other party retaliates and herein lies the reason why I support Israel fully and can only sympathise to the extent of loss of civilian life on both sides. I actually wish that India has the courage to take similar action when we are attacked by terrorists or when our soldiers are killed on the border. We can learn a little from Israel which protects itself fiercely
• All these things should have been thought before Hamas Rocket attack on Israel and kidnaping Israeli youth and murder. Knowing israel' it will hit the root of Hamas. It is a pity non combatants and innocents being killed in the war
• Correct stand. Israel has all the right in the world to protect her civilians. I'd Hamas terrorists have any guts at all, then they should fight IDF by moving away from their civilians. Indian need not interfere, but India van always express her grief over innocent lives lost due to this conflict. But again, its Hamas that is responsible.
• Some interesting points to ponder: 1. The Arab Palestinians do not have the moral high ground. 2. The death of innocents in Gaza is their fault for firing rockets at Israel in the first place. 3. Hamas would kill all Israelis if they could, but even though Israel does have that ability, they do not. 4. Israel must win every single military conflict in order to survive. 5. The Israeli focus on science technology vastly exceeds that of the Arab world. 6. Israelis are right to consider threats to their lives as more important than world opinion. 7. The Palestinians seem to have chose to be angry refugees as a way of life. 8. Israel isn’t going anywhere and the rest of the world needs to face up to that fact.

[eizverson22]

This problem is not a short time can be resolved.

[Vigilanteman]

Gandhi himself once got caught making the stupid-a$$ed statement that the entire tragedy of World War II could have been prevented had only a few million Jews been magnanimous enough to to leave Europe sooner.

[montag813]

I call B.S. on the 518 figure. According to who? Pallywood?

[OneWingedShark]

Sure it can be solved in a short time — read up Jesus’s appearance in Revelation and it happens QUICK.

[SunkenCiv]

BRICS - a - brac.

[justiceseeker93]

I thought that India was supposed to be an ally of Israel, what with those joint technology projects, etc. Plus India India should know how it feels to be a target of Islamic terrorism.

Shame on India for its "not taking sides" re the war in Gaza.

[Cronos]

India is highly, highly dependent on oil from the koslem middle east who will cut off the taps if they cone out completely in favor of Israel

[Eleutheria5]

I’ll settle for neutrality from India, and the quiet, continuous strengthening of ties between we two former British colonies. It’s better than the infernal meddling we constantly get from EU, UN and USA, our supposed bestest buddy.

[SJackson]

Don’t know. Near 15% Muslim population perhaps. They may just want to stay out of what isn’t their business. Not always a bad thing.

[rmlew]

India has around 200 Million Muslims and is dependent on Muslim oil. They have traditionally taken the side of the Palestinians. Neutrality is a step forward.

[Netz]

Many nations PRETEND to either be neutral or anti-Israel. India has a H-U-G-E Muslim population, don’t forget.

[Daveinyork]

When it comes right down to it, we Jews have no friends, and haven’t for at least 2,000 years.

[SunkenCiv]

There was the usual party-line spam against this new gov’t of India, simply because the Congress Party has always been more or less in the bag for the USSR. It was the Congress Party that wanted a condemnation of Israel, and the majority didn’t go for it; they did however have to keep everyone happy with this more MOR statement, otherwise the condemnation might have passed and brought down the gov’t.

[wetphoenix]