BJP vs Congress on Gaza: What India's Middle East Policy Row Is Really About

A sharp political fight has broken out in India over the country's foreign policy on the Gaza conflict. At the centre of it is a simple question: has the Modi government quietly walked away from India's decades-old support for Palestinian rights? Congress says yes. The BJP says absolutely not — and accuses Congress of playing politics with foreign policy.

The row was triggered by an opinion article written by Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party — meaning she leads Congress members in Parliament. In the piece, she accused the government of maintaining a 'stony silence' on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, and said this silence was not only morally wrong but also against India's national interest. She went further, alleging that India had allowed Pakistan to step in as a mediator in the region, a role India should have claimed.

The BJP — the ruling party — pushed back hard. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said India has consistently stated its position on the Israel-Palestine conflict, voted for ceasefire resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) — the main decision-making body of the United Nations where all 193 member countries have a vote — and has sent humanitarian aid to Gaza. He accused Congress of misleading the public and using foreign policy for what is known in Indian politics as 'vote bank politics': the practice of championing issues that appeal to a particular community primarily to win their votes, rather than out of genuine concern or national interest. The BJP argued Congress speaks up for Muslims in Gaza but stays silent about Hindus facing difficulties in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The immediate flashpoint is a specific UN vote. On June 12, 2025, the UNGA voted on a draft resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. An overwhelming 149 countries voted in favour. Twelve countries — including Israel and the United States — voted against. India was among the 19 countries that abstained, meaning it neither supported nor opposed the resolution. Other abstaining countries included Georgia, Ecuador, Romania, and Ethiopia. Congress called India's abstention 'an act of staggering moral cowardice.'

To understand why this is controversial, you need some background on India's voting history and its foreign policy tradition. India had voted in favour of UNGA resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in December 2023 and again in December 2024. But the June 2025 resolution was worded differently — it demanded an 'unconditional and permanent' ceasefire — and India abstained, saying this was consistent with its stance on similar earlier resolutions and that lasting peace could only come from direct negotiations between the parties.

India's historical position on Palestine goes back decades. In 1974, India became the first non-Arab country to formally recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) — the political body representing the Palestinian people — as their sole legitimate representative. In 1988, India was among the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine as an independent nation. For much of its post-Independence history, India was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause.

However, India's relationship with Israel has also grown steadily. After formally establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, India and Israel have built strong defence, technology, and trade links, links that have strengthened notably since 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the humanitarian front, India has not been entirely absent: it has sent around 135 metric tonnes of aid to Gaza since October 2023 — including medicines — in four separate batches, and contributed USD 12.5 million to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which is the main UN body providing services to Palestinian refugees. BJP also pointed out that PM Modi received Palestine's highest civilian honour.

The debate reflects a genuine tension at the heart of Indian foreign policy: balancing its historic sympathy for Palestine, its growing strategic partnership with Israel, its tradition of non-alignment — the principle of not taking sides with major power blocs — and its desire to be seen as a responsible global voice. As Parliament debates this further, India's every vote and statement on Gaza will be examined through both a diplomatic and a domestic political lens.