Uproar in India after
PM Modi’s address to Knesset members
Reportedly a political row erupted in India after Prime Minister Modi’s address to the Israeli Knesset on February 25, 2026, where he highlighted that India recognised the state of Israel on the same day he was born (September 17, 1950).
The Congress party sharply reacted to the speech, labeling it an “unabashed defence of his host” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Prime Minister for connecting his birth date to the recognition of Israel and invoked historical correspondence between Jawaharlal Nehru and Albert Einstein to highlight India’s earlier, more nuanced engagement with Israel’s creation.
Critics and opposition parties argued that the visit was poorly timed given the situation in Gaza, with some calling it a “betrayal” of India’s traditional, long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.
In his address,
PM Modi expressed strong solidarity with Israel regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, calling it “barbaric” and emphasizing a policy of “zero tolerance for terrorism”.
While the Indian opposition was critical, Israeli Opposition leader Yair Lapid and others staged a walkout during speeches by Benjamin Netanyahu and Speaker Amir Ohana, but returned to the chamber to welcome PM Modi.
PM Modi emerged as the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Knesset and was awarded the “Speaker of the Knesset Medal”.
News Edit KV Raman
