With Palestinian people then and now... nothing more to say: Shashi Tharoor after row over Kerala rally speech

Shashi Tharoor. Pic/X@ShashiTharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday reiterated his support for the human rights of Palestinian people after his speech at Indian United Muslim League (IUML)'s pro-Palestine rally in Kerala's Kozhikode drew flak, reported news agency ANI.

Tharoor had yesterday's rally referred to Hamas as a terrorist group and said that the ongoing air strikes in Gaza by Israel in response to the October 7 attack on it was "disproportionate," as a greater number of Palestinian people were killed in the past 19 days compared to those who lost their lives in the region since the year 2008, reported ANI.

Clarifying his stance, Tharoor said, "I am with the Palestinian people then and now. Nobody who heard my speech will feel it is a speech in favour of Israel. If out of a 32-minute speech, only one word is highlighted to attack me, then I have nothing more to say in this whole controversy."

After Tharoor's finished his speech at yesterday's Kozhikode beach rally, IUML leader MK Muneer in his address pointed out that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East was a fight for independence by Palestinians and Israel was committing ethnic genocide, reported ANI.

"We are with the resistance of the people of Palestine, and we should be able to identify between resistance and attack," Muneer said, reported ANI.

Later, on social media, political leaders including CPM's KT Jalil and M Swaraj criticised Tharoor's remarks at the rally. Jalil said that Tharoor's speech gave the impression of being pro-Israel, which he believed was deceptive to the Palestinian people, reported ANI.

Tharoor, in a post on X said, "Somewhat bemused to learn of the attacks on me by those who, out of a 32-minute speech, have chosen to dwell on the 25 seconds in which I denounced the terrorist attacks of October 7 that triggered the current cycle of violence and disproportionate retribution."

"If that's all it takes to negate my support for the human rights of the Palestinian people, then I have nothing more to say," he added.

In his speech at Kozhikode yesterday, Tharoor said, "Since 19 days, the world is seeing the worst human-rights tragedies. We are seeing the worst tragedy. Terrorists attacked Israel, Hamas is a terror group. Israel stopped providing food, water and electricity to Gaza. We are condemning the bombing of Israel," reported ANI.

Tharoor, who had previously served as a UN diplomat said the ongoing air strikes in Gaza by Israel in response to the Hamas attack was "disproportionate," reported ANI.

He also highlighted that the ongoing crisis is not a Muslim issue but a human rights issue and said "war knows no religion."

"Israel calls their operation, 'Swords of Iron', but now those swords are dipped in the blood of children. The bombing has caused a lot of injuries and innocent people are suffering and they are dying. Many are living under suffocating occupation," Tharoor said, reported ANI.

He said that over 6,000 Palestinians and 300 Israelis were killed in clashes in the area between 2008 and September this year and the number of those who died since October 7, however, was much more, reported ANI.

Tharoor urged Israel to end the war and further appealed to the world to unite to "end the human rights violations inflicted on the Palestinian people". "Now, it is more than time to announce a ceasefire," the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram said, reported ANI.

IUML Party workers gathered in strength for yesterday's rally, which was presided over by Kunhalikutty with Shashi Tharoor as Chief Guest. IUML state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal inaugurated the rally, reported ANI.

In his speech, Thangal said "Israel's occupation has created Palestine conflict. They are trying to survive. They are trying the defend their land. Stop genocide killings. This conflict has started since 1947. Gandhi criticised Israeli occupation. Nehru, Manmohan Singh, even Vajpayee also took a stand against the Israeli occupation of Palestine... They all stood with justice. The current government is trying to dilute that stand and make Israel look holy," reported ANI.

After the October 7 attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip by Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set up a war cabinet and the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said they will launch a ground offensive on Gaza, seeking to "wipe off from the face of earth" the Palestine-terror group.

(With inputs from ANI)