While addressing the media a day ahead of the ‘International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine’ on 29 November, Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said that it was upto the Indian government to decide whether to designate Hamas a terror organisation.
The envoy also appreciated India’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict as remarkable from day one. He cited Indian PM Narendra Modi’s strong condemnation of the attack by Hamas on Israel and noted that New Delhi has always been supporting a two-state solution to the Palestine issue.
Decision Upto India to Designate Hamas
Answering a question regarding India’s response to Israel’s request to designate Hamas as a terror organisation, Gilon said, “We have filed the information needed [...] now it’s the Indian government's decision.” The ambassador said there was a good reason for India to look into Israel’s request.
Gilon claimed that Hamas was impacting India as well. He mentioned that if India had declared Hamas a terror outfit in the past, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal could have been prevented from addressing a pro-Palestinian rally in Kerala virtually. The former head of Hamas had addressed a rally organised by the Solidarity Youth Movement on 27 October, calling for unity for Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly demanded that India list Hamas as a terror organisation.
Process to Designate LeT Started 5-6 Months Ago
Israel recently designated the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terrorist organisation. “We were not aware that Lashkar-e-Taiba was never listed in Israel. So we started the process,” Gilon said while mentioning that six Israeli citizens were killed in the Mumbai attacks.
He mentioned, “It’s an inter-agency process that you have to do in order to list. Usually, we don’t list organisations that are not connected to Israel or to our region directly.” The envoy credited the Israel embassy’s deputy chief of mission, Nakash Kaynar, for the initiative that started about 5-6 months ago. “And we thought it would be a nice gesture if we are now reaching 15 years of the Mumbai attacks [...] it’s very symbolic [...] we felt that it’s the right gesture to mark 15 years after and to remember, India never asked for it,” he added.
Israel’s Ambassador to India @NaorGilon speaks to Indian media about Israel’s plan for elimination of Hamas terror group in Gaza and the release of remaining Israeli Hostages. Israel will yet again begin war against Hamas whenever the Ceasefire ends. @IsraelinIndia @KaynarOhad pic.twitter.com/DeAPMy7MUx
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 28, 2023
Indian Workers in Israel
The ambassador mentioned that Israel is expecting more Indians to work in their country as caregivers, construction workers and agricultural workers. “There are nearly 18,000 Indians working in Israel, and we have signed two protocols for getting workers in agriculture and construction from India,” said Gilon.
He highlighted that when the Israeli Foreign Minister was in India, he signed a framework agreement with his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar, to bring workers from India and to provide structure to those already working in Israel. The envoy said Israel was looking at a third protocol for agriculture with India. Recent reports suggest that Israel would hire 100,000 Indian workers to replace over 90,000 Palestinians whose work permits were cancelled owing to the Hamas attack on 7 October. Amid opposition from trade unions, the MEA had issued a clarification on the issue, saying that it was a long-term initiative.
Planning to get more Indians to work in Israel, says envoy Naor Gilon @IsraelinIndia @NaorGilon. 3 Sectors identified - Care givers, Construction, & Agriculture. Private sector given 3 month quota. Reporting: https://t.co/5e13Z1uuLb
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) November 28, 2023
Israel to Resume Plan of Eliminating Hamas
Outlining Israel’s approach to the conflict in Gaza in light of the temporary truce, Gilon said, “The minute we finish the ceasefire, we are going back to the mission.” “We wanted to continue the elimination of Hamas. The ceasefire was for the release of hostages,” he added. Gilon stressed, “Once they stop releasing, we will go back to what we were planning all along. Elimination of Hamas.”
Regarding the safety of civilians while conducting operations in South Gaza, Gilon said, “They will be moved to empty spaces and beaches, and a humanitarian corridor will be made to move them up north.”
Fighting a Proxy War with Iran
While dodging a question on India’s continuing engagement with Iran, including Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra’s latest visit to the country, Gilon stated that Israel was fighting a proxy war with Iran.
“Iran is connected to everything happening in the region. Iran is the head of the snake,” he added. Gilon said that Iran funds, equips and trains all the fighters and extremist groups, whether it is Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, Shia militia in Syria, or Hamas in Gaza.