Kerala BJP to organise pro-Israel rally in Kozhikode on Dec 2

In a counter to the pro-Palestine stand of both Congress and CPI(M) in Kerala, the state unit of BJP has decided to organise a pro-Israel rally in Kozhikode on December 2. Kozhikode BJP president V.K. Sajeevan said that Union minister of state Rajeev Chandrasekhar will inaugurate the event, which is being titled ‘anti-terror conference’.

This comes at a time when the Israel-Hamas war has been continuing since October 7 where more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in cold blood by Israel. It may be noted that Kozhikode witnessed pro-Palestine rallies organised by political parties CPM and IUML. The Congress is organising pro-Palestine rally on November 23.

Several BJP leaders said that heads of various Christian churches will be invited for the event. The party also slammed all pro-Palestine rallies held.

Chandrasekhar has been accused of making statements on social media that promote enmity between different groups in connection with recent blasts at a convention centre in Kochi.

His social media posts claimed that the incident has a connection with a pro-Palestine rally organised in Kerala, in which a Hamas leader allegedly addressed the audience virtually.

This event comes at a time when Prime Minister Modi condemned the deaths of civilians in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and highlighted the urgent need for unity and cooperation among the Global South in the face of escalating challenges rising in West Asia due to the conflict. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit.

"Deeply shocked at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured. Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. Those involved should be held responsible," PM Modi tweeted.

"We have exercised restraint as well. We have given emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy. We also strongly condemn the deaths of civilians in the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” said Modi, while mentioning that India had condemned the terrorist attack in Israel on 7 October.

On Wednesday, a hospital in Gaza came under attack killing hundreds, including children. While Hamas blamed Israel for the attack, the Israeli Defence Forces blamed the Palestinian Group Islamic Jihad behind the attack which Islamic Jihad denied. Israeli forces shared before and after video, results of an analysis to show that it was a misfire on the part of Islamic Jihad and the casualty has been inflated by Hamas to blame Israel.

"After talking to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, we have also sent humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine. This is the time when the countries of the Global South should unite for the greater global good," he added.

The Global South refers to a collection of countries, primarily situated in the Southern Hemisphere in Asia, Africa and South America, with varied levels of economic development.

Over 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed after the Palestinian group Hamas launched a land-sea-air assault on October 7. In retaliation, Israel pounded the Gaza Strip - a Hamas stronghold - with airstrikes, killing over 14,000 people in the densely populated Palestinian enclave, which includes more than 4,000 children. The fallout from the violence has shaken the region and the world.