End all military, security cooperation with Israel, demands CPI-M

India and Israel yesterday elevated their ties to the strategic partnership level, vowing to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism.

New Delhi, Jul 6: The CPI(M) on Thursday slammed the Modi government over the announcement of a "strategic partnership" with Israel, saying it amounts to "virtual abandonment" of India's support for the Palestinian cause, and called for ending military cooperation with the Jewish state.

The Left party said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Israel marked a "rupture" in India's long-held position that views that country as an "occupying power" of Palestinian territories. It alleged the BJP-led NDA government's "alliance" with Israel is a reflection of its "pro-imperialist Hindutva- oriented" foreign policy.

The CPI(M) said it is the "anti-Muslim" bias of the RSS- BJP that makes them emulate Israel, something, it added, the late Hindu Mahasabha leader V D Savarkar had also advocated in 1952.

"The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel marks a rupture in the long-held position of India which has viewed Israel as an occupying power of Palestinian territories.

"The CPI(M) demands that all security and military cooperation with Israel be ended forthwith," the party politburo said.

Former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat observed that the Hindutva outlook of the BJP has a close affinity with the ethno-nationalist stream of Zionism.

Zionism is a movement that was originally aimed at re- establishing and developing a Jewish nation which is the present-day Israel. Karat also said Israel's ruling right-wing Likud party and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are "ideological soul-mates" of the BJP and Modi respectively.

"The RSS and the BJP admire Israel for the way it has oppressed the Palestinian people and taken on the Arab countries. It is their anti-Muslim bias that makes them want to emulate Israel, something V D Savarkar exhorted India to do in 1952," Karat said.

The Marxist leader made the remarks in the editorial of the forthcoming issue of CPI(M) mouthpiece 'People's Democracy'. India and Israel yesterday elevated their ties to the strategic partnership level, vowing to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism while pitching for strong action against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups. The two sides also signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture, and space.

PTI