Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has drawn flak from former Israeli ambassador to India Daniel Carmon for not calling Hamas a terrorist group. In a video that has gone viral on X, formerly Twitter, Shashi Tharoor, while talking to India Today anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, said, “The terrorist organisation label is one that we are very careful not to follow other country’s leads in these matters. The US considers Hamas a terrorist organisation so does Israel. India has not made any such classification and I am gonna stick to the Indian position.”
Seriously, @ShashiTharoor,can you not?After decades of terror against my people,challenging the very Palestinian Authority,especially after this week’s savage slaughter of over a thousand peaceful human beings,can you not label Hamas as terrorists?Frankly,I am shocked.#HamasISIS https://t.co/G1crdOtRsz
— 🇮🇱Daniel Carmon🇮🇱 (@danielocarmon) October 11, 2023
The interview was shared by many users on the internet including Daniel Carmon who did not mince his words in criticising Tharoor. He wrote, “Seriously, @ShashiTharoor, can you not? After decades of terror against my people, challenging the very Palestinian Authority, especially after this week’s savage slaughter of over a thousand peaceful human beings, can you not label Hamas as terrorists? Frankly, I am shocked.”
In response to Carmon, the Congress MP argued that India has not issued such a label to Hamas. “All I said was that India has not issued such a designation, though others have. Undoubtedly Hamas conducted terrorist acts, which I roundly condemned. Don’t be misled by crude headlines seeking to distort my words, @danielocarmon. I feel for you and other friends in Israel at this difficult time, and hope & pray for your continued safety,” Tharoor wrote.
Even as Tharoor used the Prime Minister’s statement to justify not calling Hamas terrorists, several users replied to the MP pointing out that PM Modi has categorically called the attacks on Israel as “terrorist attacks”.
The Indian PM has clearly called it a terror attack. Which part of that message wasn't clear to you? Your Congress Party has a soft corner for Hamas, which is more than clear now.
— Dr. S.D. Gulati (@drsdgulati) October 11, 2023
Moreover, in an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Tharoor lobbied for Palestine saying that “India should not forget the cause of Palestine”.
“India has so far — judging by the Prime Minister’s Tweets — has taken a stand unambiguously on the side of Israelis who have been subjected to this unjust and inhumane attack by the Hamas. That’s fine as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go far enough because there is a broader picture that seems to be missing from the traditional Indian position,” he told NDTV.
On 9th October, just two days after the terrorist attack by Hamas, the Congress Party expressed its sympathy for Palestinians. The Congress passed a resolution voicing concern over the situation and urged for a ceasefire, however, backed Palestine.
