In an interaction with reporters on Wednesday, Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said it is time for India to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation.
India had termed the 7 October Hamas offensive on Israel a “terror attack” while reaffirming its support for the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue in later statements.
Overview
In his comments, Gilon said that India is a very close ally and an important moral voice worldwide.
He mentioned, “When it comes to terrorism, India is also coming from the point of view of someone who knows what they are talking about as it has been a victim of terrorism for so many years.”
The time has come for India to declare Hamas as a terrorist group, said Israeli envoy Naor Gilon. He said that economic projects like I2U2 and IMEC will remain on track and that Israeli economy will remain unaffected by the ongoing conflict. https://t.co/CvGxN1EgFX
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) October 26, 2023
Gilon also thanked India for its “100 per cent” support to Israel in its anti-terror operations and appreciated PM Narendra Modi’s post expressing solidarity with Israel.
Mentioning that democracies of the world are with Israel, he urged India to follow the path of the EU, US, Canada and Australia in designating Hamas as a terror organisation.
The ambassador said, “It is not the first time we spoke about it. We are not putting pressure. We think that is something that is due. We raised it after the attack, and we are still in dialogue. It’s a friendly talk.”
Mentioning that Israel and India see eye to eye on counterterrorism and other issues, Gilon said he had spoken to “relevant authorities here” concerning the matter.
Conflict Won’t Affect Israel’s Economy
Gilon mentioned that the war had not put pressure on the Israeli economy, and that projects like I2U2 and IMEC would remain on track.
I2U2 is a grouping of India, Israel, the UAE, and the US, while IMEC is the India-Middle East-European Corridor launched during the G20 New Delhi Summit.
During his interaction with the media, Gilon stated, “The first essential thing is to get rid of the threat. Once we get rid of the threat, we can go back to normalcy.”
Furthermore, he highlighted that, at the end of the day, Israel’s growth trajectory will continue, and the country “has an amazing past and a brighter future.”
Israel Amb @IsraelinIndia @NaorGilon hopes India will list Hamas as a terror organisation pic.twitter.com/nXC34bpmKZ
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) October 25, 2023
War of Survival
“For Israel, it’s a war of being able to survive in the Middle East,” said Gilon.
Mentioning that Israel lives in “a very tough neighbourhood,” the ambassador noted that the success of Hamas is not an option for moderate regimes in the Middle East.
“In the Middle East, if you are perceived to be weak, your life is going to be miserable.”
“If people think that they can attack Israel, we will be attacked all the time. So, vulnerability is not much appreciated,” Gilon added.