Article Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/18/bjp-expresses-solidarity-with-israel-as-gaza-bombing-continues
Most nations across the globe have condemned Israel’s continued bombing of the Gaza Strip, but many people in India have actually been supporting it. Twitter hashtags such as #IndiawithIsrael and #PalestineTerrorists have been trending in India over the past week. When looking under these hashtags, their motivation can be traced to “visceral hatred for Muslims and a bloodlust to see Muslims massacred and shown their place.”
The Hindutvas are a group of Indian nationalists who back Israel for the sole reason that Muslims are being persecuted. Many of their posts and statements are backed by Indian leaders.
Interestingly enough, India was actually a key supporter in Palestine’s quest for independence, given the fact that India itself was once a British colony. Over the years, India has strengthen their ties with Israel, and now they even buy 46% of Israel’s arms exports. This growing bond is also an attempt by India to be closer tied to the United States. Modi considers Netanyahu to be his friend, and was the first Indian prime minister to ever visit Israel. Still, India supports Palestine’s statehood in the UN and calls for peace on its official social media.
Though India’s leadership isn’t flat-out supporting Israel for anti-Muslim reasons, it is problematic that this Hindutva group has such a significant foothold in India. When anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric is so prominent in Indian media, it doesn’t necessarily matter that the Prime Minister isn’t explicitly saying those things. This dislike of Islam is very ingrained in some Hindu cultures and can seemingly be traced back hundreds of years. This conflict of ideas is illustrated in the never ending India-Pakistan border conflict and has arguably infiltrated mainstream Indian culture. Overall, the significant presence of Hindutva ideals (especially among prominent government leaders) is a concerning display of the dangers of long-brewing social cleavages.