How Indian Netizens are divided over Israel Palestine conflict

Ever Since the clashes at Al Aqsa mosque have broken out, The Israel Palestine deadlock has hogged the limelight on social media. The world leaders have taken their sides conveniently and India has also displayed concern on the exchange of rocket fire between Israel and Palestine backed organization Hamas.

A few days ago India's permanent representative to the UN ambassador TS Tirumurti tweeted that India is deeply concerned about clashes & violence in Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount. In a series of tweets Tirumurti also condemned rocket fire from Gaza. It depicts India's stance a bit tilted towards Israel.

Two main political rivals divided over the Gaza Violence

However, during the COVID pandemic, India's political outfits and netizens have a penchant inclination to discuss Israel Palestine conflict on social media. The two main rival parties have different opinions on the week-long violence escalated in the Gaza Strip. 

The BJP top brass has been supporting Israel actively on Twitter. Delhi's BJP leader who lost the assembly election last year, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga has posted a 7-year-old video where he can be seen in a pro-Israel rally pushing for an intimate Indo Israel friendship. 

#IndiaStandsWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/ikN6CaXsbw

— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) May 12, 2021

While the grand old party's Congress top-notch social media warriors have a different say. Congress leader Salman Nizami has been relentlessly tweeting in favor of Palestine. He has also retweeted and criticized a tweet of BJP Yuva Morcha prez Tejasvi Surya where he has shown solidarity with Israel. 

Beg Muslim nations for Oxygen/Aid & praise Israel for killing Muslims. These Sanghis have no character!#WeStandWithPalestine
May Allah destroy Israel. https://t.co/F7V6sYeIA8

— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) May 12, 2021

The divergence in the stance of the political rivals depicts that the ruling Saffron party has banked upon the anti-minority sentiments. While Congress has always been notorious for minority appeasement opted to stuck to the old age strategy of wooing Muslims. Notably, Congress drew a blank in the recently concluded West Bengal elections as they failed to grab a major chunk of votes of the minority. 

India stands with Israel vs India stands with Palestine

With Israel and Palestine locking horns in the Gaza strip, Indian Netizens sitting at a far-flung distance from the war zone too have been up in arms against each other.There have been a plethora of hashtags that keeps flashing in the trending section of the microblogging website Twitter. 

Those who share analogous sentiments with Israel are tweeting with the hashtags #IndiastandswithIsrael, #IsupportIsrael, #Israelunderfire, #Israelunderattack. Also pro Indian Israel Supporters are loathing Hamas and considering it a terror organization. Majority opines that Likewise India, Israel too has been the victim of Islamic terrorism and it is the time to stand with the lone Jew country of the world.

To @israel with love! #IndiaStandsWithIsrael #DOPToonOfTheDay By @ManojKureel8 pic.twitter.com/wXeI6LFp0w

— DOpolitics (@DOpolitics_in) May 13, 2021

Islamic Jihadists Crying for #HamasTerrorists and opposing #Palestina had never talked about muslims being killed in our neighboring countries?#IndiaStandsWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/bhE2HLjMD3

— ????? ???? (@vinod_bansal) May 13, 2021

#ISupportIsrael#?????? #HamasTerrorists

Raise your voice against Terrorism. pic.twitter.com/ZirIWmIiQz

— ???? ?????? (@Asli_Shivani) May 13, 2021

Israel????????is a small country in middle East fighting alone with all radical islamic jihadist groups. It has the right to defend itself #IndiaStandWithIsrael #ISupportIsrael #WeStandWithIsrael #IstandwithIsreal #IsraelUnderAttack #HamasTerrorists #Israel #?????? #StandWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/VR6imvvIol

— Satyansh Trivedi (@Satyansh_zzz) May 13, 2021

#ISupportIsrael#IstandwithIsreal
History made Incredible Line,

"If Arab put their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.": Benjamin Netanyahu #WeStandWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/i2sLNBpuGe

— Sanjay yadav (@Sanjays23775200) May 13, 2021

While the minority community which celebrates its major festival "Eid-al Fitr" has stood with Palestine and Hamas unapologetically during the last leg of Ramzan. The people hailing from Islam religion are not only tweeting with the hashtags #IndiastandswithPalestine, #Isupportpalestine, #Palestineunderattack, #Palestinebleeds, #Palestineunderfire but also sharing an image which shows how jews occupied Israel state gradually in the past 70 years and pushed Palestinians to the corner in their own country. 

I am Citizen of India  And #ISupportPalestine https://t.co/MZFnuh8NWB

— Nawazish khan  (@Nawazishkhan93) May 12, 2021

We Indians never stand with terrorist Israel , #IndiaStandsWithPalestine pic.twitter.com/YugU5qrQVc

— $ULT@N LERIN (@ULTNRZ1) May 12, 2021

Since Monday 43 Palestinians including 13 children have been killed 296 injured ,holy month of ramzan.
U don't have to be a Palestinian to support Palestine.u don't have to b a Muslim to support Palestine

BEING HUMAN IS ENOUGH TO SUPPORT PALESTINE #IndiaStandsWithPalestine pic.twitter.com/jDO1HAHJeO

— phatan khan (@pathan_neamath) May 12, 2021

#IndiaStandsWithPalestine
Jo Twitter pr active ho retweet karo #AllahuAkbar
Retweet maximum pic.twitter.com/fLj0hJw6ML

— Rofl ???????? (Ali Sohrab) @007QaQa (@QamarAalam11) May 12, 2021

Indians solidarity with Palestinians is more powerful than Israeli drones. InshaAllah Israel Fall Down.#WeAreAlQuds#IndiaStandsWithPalestine pic.twitter.com/OvbAi6JNXx

— Riyaz Kadambu (@Riyaz_cfi) May 13, 2021

India's Balancing act in the Middle East

On the ground, it looks clear with whom Indian citizens stand but diplomatically India has a balancing act of friendship between Arab countries and Israel. India has been the major importer of Crude Oil from Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. While with Israel India has joint military operation ties. The Jewish state has helped India time and again whenever India went into a war-like situation. During the Kargil war, Israel rendered technological assistance to India and shared satellite imagery which proved vital in the end. 

The indo-Israel friendship was strengthened further after Narendra Modi became the first prime minister to visit Israel in the year 2017. 

However, Modi has not sidelined the Arabic nations and toured Palestine, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan to establish bilateral ties in his first tenure. PM toured the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia again after being elected for the second term. (WD)