THE parliamentary debate on the Israeli attacks on hapless civilians in Palestine’s Gaza strip has proved the point that what was initially presumed as the ruling BJP’s obduracy in preventing a Parliamentary discussion was actually a cover to conceal its real political and ideological affinity with the Zionist project. In the parliamentary debate, barring the BJP, virtually everybody else demanded that a resolution be adopted by the Indian Parliament condemning the death of civilians in one of the most inhuman military offensives launched in recent times. Even as the number of dead continues to mount, as we go to press, it has reached a figure of near 700. The United Nations says that 77 per cent of these are civilians and more than one-third of them being women and children. That this Israeli aggression is in violation of all international humanitarian laws and international conventions regarding the protection of civilians in the face of military hostilities has been repeatedly pointed out by the UN and various governments of Western democracies like Italy and Germany. Reminding the BJP that when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the prime minister of India leading a BJP-led NDA government, the Parliament had adopted a unanimous resolution against US military aggression on Iraq, MPs cutting across all non-NDA parties demanded, at the least, a similar resolution on humanitarian grounds condemning the large-scale death of civilians and destruction of properties in the Gaza strip. The Narendra Modi-led government refused to accept this suggestion leading to the walkout in protest by the entire opposition in the Rajya Sabha. A draft resolution was prepared for consultations but this was rejected by the ruling BJP-led NDA. At this stage, it was also suggested by the CPI(M) that since the Indian prime minister had personally signed on and endorsed the Joint Declaration of the recently-concluded BRICS Summit in Brazil, the relevant paragraph could be reproduced in toto to constitute the text of a resolution by the Indian parliament. Strangely, the BJP refused to even accept this despite the fact that its own leader as the prime minister of India has approvingly put his signature on this declaration! This refusal is stranger if the extract from the BRICS Declaration is properly read. Para 38 of the Declaration says: “We reaffirm our commitment to contribute to a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the universally recognised international legal framework, including the relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles and the Arab Peace Initiative. We believe that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a fundamental component for building a sustainable peace in the Middle East. We call upon Israel and Palestine to resume negotiations leading to a two-State solution with a contiguous and economically viable Palestinian State existing side by side in peace with Israel, within mutually agreed and internationally recognised borders based on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We oppose the continuous construction and expansion of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by the Israeli government, which violates international law, gravely undermines peace efforts and threatens the viability of the two-State solution. We welcome recent efforts to achieve intra-Palestinian unity, including the formation of a national unity government and steps towards conducting general elections, which is key element to consolidate a democratic and sustainable Palestinian State, and call on the parties to fully commit to the obligations assumed by Palestine. We call on the UN Security Council to fully exercise its functions under the UN Charter with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We recall with satisfaction the decision of the UN General Assembly to proclaim 2014 the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, welcome the efforts of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in providing assistance and protection for Palestine refugees and encourage the international community to continue to support the activities of the agency". In a move that is tantamount to disapproving the Indian PM’s approval of the above Declaration, the BJP/NDA refused to allow the Indian parliament to adopt this very text as a unanimous resolution. Such a resolution would have conveyed to the whole world the continuation of India’s time tested policy of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and would have been seen as in India’s total support to the Palestinians who have been denied their fundamental right to a homeland through a gigantic imperialist conspiracy for nearly seven decades. The BJP’s refusal to allow this to happen in the Indian parliament is actually an endorsement of the RSS/BJP’s ideological and political affinity towards the Zionist project pursued by Israel. This project and its relentless pursuit by Israel, in a way, endorses the RSS efforts to metamorphose the secular democratic Indian Republic. Chillingly articulating the RSS ideological project and vision of a rabidly intolerant fascistic `Hindu Rashtra’, the RSS Guruji Golwalkar had in the days of the freedom struggle written about such a nation in India where all religious minorities would have to live, if they wish to, as “second class citizens” subsuming themselves to the “Hindu way of life”. The very antithesis of the secular democratic character of the independent Indian Republic. To achieve this objective, Golwalkar had spoken very highly of Hitler’s fascistic methods and methodology. The adulation of fascist Germany could not have been more naked. "The ancient Race spirit, which prompted the Germanic tribes to over-run the whole of Europe, has re-risen in modern Germany, with the result that the Nation perforce follows aspirations, predetermined by the traditions left by its depredatory ancestors. Even so with us: our Race spirit has once again roused itself as is evidenced by the race of spiritual giants we have produced, and who today stalk the world in serene majesty" (We or our Nationhood Defined, Golwalkar, 1939, p. 32). Further: "To keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the semitic Races - the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for Races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by" (ibid. Golwalkar, 1939, p. 35). In today’s conditions, the pursuit of the Zionist project is seen by the RSS with similar adulation. Unsuccessfully seeking to camouflage such ideological affinity, the RSS/BJP commentators advanced this spurious argument that Israel’s current aggression, as all previous ones were, are a response in self defence against the provocative `terrorist attacks’ on it. The root of the problem of this conflict lies in the continued Israeli illegal occupation of Palestinian lands. We have repeatedly stated, in the past and now, that once Israel vacates its illegal occupation, if any terrorist attack takes place in any form on Israel, then we would be the first in mobilising global condemnation and seek to move against such terrorism through international bodies. However, as long as Israel continues to illegally occupy Palestinian lands and expand its forced `settlements’ on these lands (as the BRICS Declaration stated), they remain the fountainhead of all aggressive provocations. Israel has repeatedly rejected a series of resolutions by the United Nations and the international community over the years. Notwithstanding this, negating India’s longstanding traditions of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, the BJP commentators displaying their ideological affinity advised the MPs before the debate, thus: “Israel is a friend of India and more mindful of our larger strategic interests than the entire OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries). It is time that some of us flaunt our partiality for Israel. And this parliamentary debate may be as good an occasion as any to stand by real friends.” Worse is the BJP argument that solidarity with Palestine is tantamount to the `appeasement’ of the Muslims in India. Those who practice the worst vote bank politics of seeking to consolidate the `Hindu vote bank’ accuse those who support the Palestinian struggle for a homeland as `appeasement’. In fact, BJP’s Jaswant Singh as foreign minister, once said, of all places in Jerusalem, that India had long refused to accord diplomatic recognition to Israel only to “appease” Indian Muslims. The current Israeli offensive code named as `Operation Shuvu Achim’ launched on June 13 complemented by another `Operation Protective Edge’ launched on July 7 continues on a hapless population who cannot even leave the Gaza strip as all its borders remain sealed. It is time that in the interests of humanism and natural justice, the peace-loving people in the world and we, Indians, must rise together to stop this yet another war of aggression against the helpless and innocent Palestinian people. Indian people must pressurise this BJP-led NDA government to immediately stop India’s purchase of Israeli defence equipment. India is the world’s largest buyer of Israeli armaments. India must, thus, stop financing this Israeli aggression on Gaza through such profits it provides Israel through armament purchases. (July 23, 2014)