As the world watches, it has somehow become normal to witness genocide, Palestinians being killed every day, waiting desperately for aid and help. This horror has been so easily normalized that it feels as if Palestinians are not considered human beings at all. As Israel’s brutal siege on Gaza unfolds, many in India have responded not with horror, but with applause. On social media, across television panels, and in everyday conversations, there is open admiration for Israel’s militarized might, and a chilling silence, if not outright celebration, of Palestinian suffering. Some even mock the killings, making memes and cruel jokes, or talk about “freeing Palestine”, but from the world map. Who are these people who take pleasure in watching children being murdered simply because of their background? And worse, where is the outrage? Where are the counter-protests from the same community under the banner of “Not in My Name”?
This phenomenon cannot be explained by mere geopolitics. Palestine has never posed a threat to Indians or to India as a state. Palestinians have not harmed Indians, nor do they occupy any territory. Yet, a significant, perhaps even majority, section of Indian society appears emotionally and ideologically aligned with Israel, even as its actions draw international condemnation. The reasons for this lie much closer to home, and much deeper in history.
Indian Muslims, who constitute about 14 percent of the total population, stand with Palestinians, along with all justice-loving Indians. But we are seeing cases and FIRs being filed against those who take out rallies in support of Palestine. Even waving the Palestinian flag on occasions such as Muharram draws action from the state, while Hindus openly wave the Israeli flag and mock the Palestinian genocide online, even in informal groups of students within India’s esteemed social science institute.
India as a state takes a very strategic stand on the global stage, but why does it criminalize support for Palestinians within its own borders? Why is this used as yet another excuse to target Muslims of India? And why do some Hindus celebrate the killing of children and make memes about it? Weren’t all Indians, Hindus and Muslims alike, once in the same position under British rule? Have Hindus forgotten their own freedom struggle? What is even more alarming is the absence of strong opposition from other Hindus under the banner of “Not in My Name.”
Indian Hindus support for Israel is not driven by strategic pragmatism alone. It is animated, in large part, by a deep-seated animus toward Muslims, both globally and domestically. In the Hindu nationalist imagination, Israel represents a successful ethno-nationalist state, one that subjugates a Muslim population with impunity and garners international legitimacy while doing so. This image of Israel resonates powerfully with those who wish to replicate such a model in India.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.
