New Delhi, February 25 The CPI(M) strongly opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel on Wednesday, alleging that the trip comes at a time when Israel is "waging a genocidal war in Gaza" and amounts to betrayal of the Palestinian cause.
In a statement issued here, the party's Politburo accused Israel of continuing strikes in Gaza despite a ceasefire, resulting in civilian casualties. It said the visit would "legitimize the murderous regime" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The CPI(M) strongly opposes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel. The visit comes at a juncture when Israel has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza," the party said.
"Despite a ceasefire, there are daily violations by Israel, which conducts strikes killing scores of Palestinians. In the occupied West Bank, there are stepped-up attacks on Palestinians and a spurt in illegal settlements," it said.
The party said that the declared intent of the visit is also to deepen strategic, military and economic ties with a "Zionist expansionist regime" which seeks to dominate the region with the help of the United States.
"The visit is all the more inopportune because it is taking place at a time when the United States is preparing to attack Iran militarily at the instigation of Israel," it said.
"Through the visit, the BJP government has once again laid bare its shameless commitment to the US-Israeli axis in West Asia," it added.
CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby, in a post on X, called the visit a betrayal of India's anti-colonial legacy.
"Modi's embrace of Zionist Israel amidst its relentless genocidal assault on Palestine is a betrayal of India's anti-colonial legacy and our long-standing position in support of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, reaffirmed by UN resolutions that India has co-sponsored and voted for," Baby said on Tuesday night.
The CPI(M) leader called Netanyahu a "war criminal" and alleged that Modi was going to "dance and sing to his tunes."
"War criminal Netanyahu has now announced that India will cooperate in security issues, and Modi is going to Israel to dance and sing to his tunes. This unholy alliance will be an indelible blot on our nation's soul. Shame!" he said.
Modi on Wednesday left for Israel for a two-day visit during which he will have discussions with his counterpart Netanyahu, address the Israeli Parliament, Knesset, and interact with the Indian diaspora.
In his departure statement, the prime minister said India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism, and he is looking forward to his meeting with Netanyahu.