Israel used Indian media to "defend" itself against charge of genocide
Delhi will continue to take cues from its Arab allies going forward, but it is unlikely to shift its policy towards Israel.
We witnessed history this week.
After taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the charge of genocide in Gaza, South Africa’s legal team presented a devastating case against Israel during the hearing on Thursday.
As several commentators have already said, their presentations were thorough and expertly delivered.
They stuck to the facts, demonstrating firstly Israel’s intent to decimate the people of Gaza, and secondly, the breathtaking damage to lives, property and infrastructure that has taken place since October 7.
[FYI: The cataclysmic Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in the murder of close to 24,000 Palestinians and the displacement of 1,9 million others].
The same cannot be said about Israel’s legal team.
In their presentation on Friday, they predictably laid blame on Hamas for the their army’s murderous rampage in Gaza; accused South Africa of erasing the context of October 7; and advised the court against granting South Africa’s request for a pause in Israel’s operations.
One of the many peculiar sightings in Israel’s presentation (among several) was the inclusion of one particular video as “evidence” of Hamas’ crimes.
The video purportedly, produced by Indian mainstream media group India Today, showed an audio recording of a Hamas fighter narrating his attack on October 7 back to his family in Gaza over a Whatsapp call. It is unclear if the audio call was ever verified.
Though Israel’s legal team left out India Today’s logo when it played the video at the ICJ, shortly after the session, India Today ran a Breaking News strap, proudly announcing to its viewers that Israel’s legal team had used one of its stories as part of its argument.
Not only does the video fail to offer a defense against the charge of genocide (given that Hamas was not trial), it was actually used as a placeholder for Israel’s legal team to argue: 1) it was actually Hamas who was committing acts of genocide against Israel; 2) Israel had a right to defend itself against Hamas; and 3) South Africa should use its influence over Hamas to end its genocidal intent against Israel.
The decision to refer to an Indian news channel’s report as “evidence” by the Israelis is an absolutely stunning example of the ways in which Indian and Israeli interests have converged in recent years.
As I have written previously, the Indian mainstream media, as well as several journalists, influencers, and politicians, have acted as willing agents of the Israeli effort to sell its story of “self defense” around the world.
To see Israel’s legal team now refer to a clip produced by India Today (which was originally released by Israel to the media), as part of an effort to build consensus for its subsequent actions in Gaza, underscores the extent to which India’s mainstream media has become a vehicle of Israeli propaganda over the past three months.
“This was a report that was played across channels across the world, but it’s an India Today TV report that’s out there, being presented at the International Court of Justice; that’s a big deal,” the host Shiv Aroor said.
Of course, that India Today, a publication close to the Modi government, would now celebrate its role in the disaster in Gaza is a media story for the ages.
And Aroor’s excitement over his report’s inclusion in Israel’s testimony cannot be separated from India’s ringing endorsement of Israel’s policies.
South Africa’s application to the ICJ was supported by several countries, including Brazil, members of the Arab League, and others.
India was not one of them.
And while it is true that India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is now walking a tightrope when it comes to supporting Israel’s campaign in Gaza (it has now opted to support a ceasefire in Gaza), this does not represent a shift in policy.
It should be read instead as a mere adjustment in its approach.
Delhi has reiterated consistently that Israel suffered “a terror attack” on October 7. The invocation of a “terror attack” provides the justification to support Israel’s right to self-defense.
This is important to India, who sees itself as fighting “terror”, too, and wants to be able to pursue these “troublemakers” without restraint or accountability.
And Israel knows this.
Hence the messaging from Israel’s representatives in India has remained consistent, too.
"Israel is only trying to defend itself”, Naor Gilon, Israel’s ambassador to New Delhi, wrote in an opinion piece published in The Indian Express on Thursday.
But given India’s reliance on remittances from migrant workers in the Arab world, particularly the Gulf, it also knows that it must tread carefully.
Delhi, then, is trying to balance its thirst to be like Israel with a need to be sensitive to the Arab world’s growing discomfort with the genocide unfolding in Gaza.
Hence, Delhi’s support for a ceasefire but refusal to join South Africa’s case of genocide at the ICJ.
In sum, Delhi will continue to take cues from its Arab allies going forward, but it is unlikely to shift its policy towards Israel.
Construction workers continue the fight
In other news, several Indian trade unions are continuing to push back against attempts to recruit tens of thousands of Indian construction workers to replace Palestinian workers in Israel.
According to the People’s Dispatch, at least two states in India (Haryana & Uttarakhand), have issued notices over the past few weeks for the recruitment of construction workers to be sent to Israel. Both states are governed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The report said that Israeli “selectors”, including members of the Israeli Builders Association (IBA), had come to India to start the recruitment process.
Here is an excerpt from the story:
In late December, the government of another BJP-led state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), similarly started to recruit construction workers to be sent to Israel. The UP government has worked to establish close ties with the Israeli occupation, including in the fields of “police modernization” in a state whose forces are known to have committed severe human rights violations. Construction workers from UP who agree to go to Israel have been promised a monthly wage of up to USD 1,609, much higher than India’s government-mandated minimum wage, which informally employed workers are still denied. However, it is crucial to note that the wages will reportedly be deposited with the employing company and given to the workers only at the end of their contract, which could last between one to five years. Following the initial announcement by the government of Haryana, the CWFI had called on its members to hold protests against the proposed recruitment.
“The Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam (HKRN) has outlined specific criteria for individuals interested in the recruitment drive for young workers. This is a sinister ploy to exploit our country’s poor construction workers to send to Israel by offering lucrative salaries at the expense of death, starvation and income losses of fellow Palestinian workers,” the union said, adding that sending of workers would “in essence, extend support to its genocidal attacks on Palestine”.
Read the full story here.
Events: Hostile Homelands
If you are around Durban on Saturday 13/01, I will be at a book signing event at Exclusive Books at Gateway Mall in uMhlanga.
And on the 18/01, I will be joined by Dr. Hafsa Kanjwal, in an online seminar hosted by the University of British Columbia, Canada. Details below.
There are several events planned for the next four months, so do watch this space.
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