New Delhi [India], August 19 (ANI): Expressing deep concern over the political landscape leading up to the upcoming Israeli elections, Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah M Abu Shawesh warned that the "two-state solution" has been completely omitted from the doctrines of both the ruling coalition and opposition parties.
Monitoring campaign promises ahead of the polls, the envoy highlighted a bleak outlook for peace, asserting that both sides of the Israeli political spectrum are actively competing for the votes of "extremist and messianic factions."
"When it comes to the opposition leaders, they are also competing with the current government for the votes of the messianic people, so that when it comes to the two-state solution, it's not there in their political doctrines," Ambassador Abu Shawesh stated during a press briefing. "When it comes to the peace process, it's completely neglected. When it comes to settlement expansion, it's the main block of their doctrine in the upcoming election."
Criticising the ruling coalition, the ambassador accused the current Israeli administration led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of offering extreme promises to secure hard-right backing.
"The current fugitive from justice, the Israeli prime minister himself, with his coalition, is promising his voters the very hard-right voters more expansion of the settlements, the expulsion of the Palestinian people, and terrorizing the Palestinian people. Giving the terrorist extremist settlers full immunity," he claimed.
He drew specific attention to rhetoric from Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, condemning statements advocating violence and forced migration in Gaza.
"And just the fanatic minister, Security, Ben Gvir, the Israeli fanatic minister, he just three days ago, he said that every night we should kill 30 to 40 people in Gaza. They are not human beings and they should immigrate from Gaza back to their original countries. Then we will settle Gaza. So, this is what the current Israeli government or coalition is promising us as Palestinians," Shawesh recounted.
Warning that the upcoming election promises a "further deteriorated stage" for Palestinians, the envoy emphasised that the political consensus across Israel's governing and opposition lines offers no room for peace or statehood negotiations.
Earlier, India reaffirmed its consistent support for the Palestinian people and a negotiated two-state solution for the region during talks between Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs) Sripriya Ranganathan and Palestine's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian Shahin here.
Ranganathan, who is on an official visit to Palestine, called on Shahin on Tuesday and discussed the full range of India-Palestine relations, with a focus on developments in Gaza, humanitarian needs and India's longstanding development partnership with the Palestinian people.
The meeting marked Ranganathan's first engagement during her official visit to Palestine. (ANI)
"Two-state solution abandoned": Palestinian envoy Abu Shawesh slams Netanyahu's coalition ahead of Israeli elections
