Two years after the October 7 Hamas attack, Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, speaks on Gaza, Hamas, humanitarian realities, Jerusalem, antisemitism, and growing India-Israel ties amid global scrutiny.
As the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack approaches, the wounds of that fateful day remain raw in Israel. Nearly two years later, the war in Gaza still rages, UN investigators accuse Israel of committing genocide, and the world continues to grapple with one of the most divisive conflicts of our time.
Against this backdrop, Asianet Newable English’s Heena Sharma spoke exclusively with Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, who shared candid insights into Israel’s security concerns, humanitarian dilemmas, and the growing bond with India. His words come as Israel finds itself increasingly isolated at global forums, even skipping Tuesday’s UN Security Council meeting on Gaza due to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Understanding the Roots of the Conflict
For Ambassador Azar, the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict go beyond land and borders — they touch upon questions of identity, legitimacy, and acceptance.
“The main reason that we haven’t passed that debate is because the Arab world around us, many elements in the Arab world, especially in the last few years when radical Islam is rising, is not willing to accept our presence in the region. Jews are indigenous to Judea. That’s an historical fact. It’s beyond doubt.”
Azar also criticised international institutions that, in Israel’s view, perpetuate the problem rather than resolve it.
“What is also very unfortunate is that the international body that is supposed to be neutral and help to solve the situation is actually very biased against Israel… like an organization called UNRWA that is actually perpetuating the refugee status for any Palestinians that are hoping to get back to Israel instead of building their own state.”
The Threat of Hamas and Iran’s Role
Security remains Israel’s top priority, with Hamas and Iran at the center of its concerns.
“We are today facing a situation in which is the, there is a genocidal force, which is Hamas and other terrorist organizations, backed by another genocidal regime, which is the Islamic Republic of Iran, that has been assisting them with weapons and with finance. There are other very extreme movements, like the Muslim Brotherhood. So, all of these are fueling this will to attack Israel,” Azar said.
Despite the military challenges, Israel’s ambassador to India reminded that his nation had extended peace offers in the past.
“Israel, as you know, has offered very generous offers of peace in the past, and unfortunately were rejected. So we are today in a situation where we have to fight these radicals to give Palestinians a chance to have peace and a leadership that is more conducive and more tolerant.”
Hostages, Gaza, and Human Shields
The ongoing hostage crisis and Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe have added layers of complexity to Israel’s war strategy.
“First of all, we have the hostages. We don’t want to sacrifice them in the course of defeating Hamas. The second is that we are talking about very complicated, densely urban warfare in which you have two million people being used by Hamas as human shields. So Israel could have actually, in two weeks, completely erased the Gaza Strip if it wanted to do so. But we don’t have genocidal intentions against the Palestinians.”
It is worth nothing that on Monday, Hamas’ armed wing released a video showing an Israeli-German hostage alive, the second such footage of him shared by the terrorist group this month. The Israeli campaign group Hostages and Missing Families Forum and the captive’s family identified him as Alon Ohel, who was abducted by Palestinian terrorists during their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Of the 251 hostages seized during the Hamas attack in October 2023, 47 are still in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.
Qatar, Azar argued, has not been a constructive partner in negotiations.
“Qatar overplayed its hand. Instead of helping us seal a deal to bring half of the hostages, they helped Hamas to get rid of international pressure by this so-called starvation campaign. Now, there is suffering in some parts of Gaza, but this accusation of Israeli starving the population on purpose is completely false. And the Qatari, instead of helping us and the Americans to put pressure on Hamas, they relieved the pressure on Hamas and they showed their true face. And therefore, we had no choice but not to target them, to target the terrorists, the ones who are, who are re- rebuking time and again our offers to bring this war to an end.”
Settlements and the Elusive Two-State Solution
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday his position that there would be no Palestinian state and vowed to accelerate the creation of new settlements. The issue of Israeli settlements often dominates headlines, but Azar maintained that Israel has shown restraint.
“Israel has frozen the settlements many times in the past. Each time that Israel puts an offer on the table… if the Palestinians are not willing to accept our offers, and they sort of get them as a sign that Israel is weak, then we have no choice. We have to continue actually exercising our rights until they show seriousness when it comes to negotiation and peaceful resolution.”
On the question of Palestinian statehood, Azar was blunt.
“There was a Palestinian state in Gaza before this war. The greatest blow against Palestinian statehood was what Hamas did. We withdrew from Gaza Strip in order to give a chance for Palestinian self-rule. What will happen now is a very slow process to regain trust and create a relationship with Palestinian leadership willing to accept Israel.”
Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal on Sunday recognised a Palestinian state after nearly two years of war in Gaza, with France, Belgium and other countries poised to follow suit at the UN General Assembly. Of the territory claimed by the state, Israel currently occupies the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is largely in ruins.
Humanitarian Concerns and Refugee Questions
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled the city since Israel launched its offensive, but many remain trapped, too exhausted or too poor to leave. The United Nations said the war had brought a level of destruction unprecedented in recent history, with at least 78 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed, including hospitals and schools.
After months of warnings, a UN-backed report in August declared a state of famine in part of the territory, a finding disputed by Israel, which accuses Hamas of looting aid. Last week, UN investigators accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. Israel slammed that UN probe as “distorted and false”.
The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
When asked about the viral photograph of a frail, malnourished Gaza child, Azar stated, “Well, those kids are real kids, but they weren’t suffering from starvation. They were suffering from preexisting conditions, very difficult diseases. So the pictures were manipulated, as you could see very clearly.”
“Any person with, with some kind of, you know, critical eyes could see that their family members were not starving. So it means that these were used as a tool to put pressure on Israel or to relieve pressure from Hamas. And the result is there. This war is getting prolonged. What we are, want to achieve was set up very clearly in the first day following this terrible attack, is to prevent a situation in which Hamas can rearm and regroup in Gaza and that we bring back our hostages. So as long as Hamas refuses to do that and as long as the international community fails to put pressure on their leaders, we’ll have to continue this war to take over Gaza City. And if even after that they don’t cooperate, we’ll have to take the entire Gaza Strip,” Azar declared.
As international accusations mount over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, Azar further defended Israel’s position.
“Refugees could flee to neighbouring countries until peace is restored. We are not going to forcefully exile people. A very large amount of the population in Gaza would like to flee to a safe haven until the situation improves. We know that the best way to serve the interest of our people and our neighbours is to get Hamas out of the Gaza Strip.”
Israel, he noted, had long provided aid and even employment to Palestinians.
“We have been treating thousands of Gazans at hospitals. We’ve been employing Gazans in the past. Unfortunately, this was manipulated by Hamas, and we found ourselves with people that came to work in Israel and used that to plan attacks against Israel. So we are today much more cautious when it comes to hosting Palestinians.”
Rising Antisemitism and the Safety of Jews
The war has triggered a wave of antisemitism worldwide.
“There’s no doubt that there’s been a deterioration in the safety of Jews as a result mainly of radical Islamic elements. We are working with governments, both operationally and through intelligence. At the end of the day, it is the responsibility of each country to take care of their citizens,” Azar stated.
For Israel, Jerusalem remains at the heart of identity and history.
“Jerusalem has never been the capital of any state except the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Israel. Since Jerusalem was taken back by Israel, all religions are free to exercise in Jerusalem. The problem is with radicals that do not accept Jewish history in Jerusalem,” Israel’s ambassador to India added.
He also emphasized Israel’s role in safeguarding religious heritage.
“Israel never threatened Muslim shrines in Jerusalem. On the contrary, we acted actively to preserve and protect them. More countries should join the United States in recognizing Israel, which will contribute to peace, not instability.”
India and Israel: A Growing Partnership
During his interview, Ambassador Azar repeatedly highlighted the warmth between Israel and India. From economic cooperation to cultural affinity, the ties have only deepened.
“The average salary is $1,500. Last year, we doubled the number of Indian workers. It’s a completely free choice. India and Israel share a long history, facing similar threats of radicalism and terrorism, and cooperating in creating capabilities,” he said.
He smiled as he spoke of the personal bonds Israelis feel with India.
“Israelis love India. We are adopting a lot of the cultural and human sides India has to offer — spirituality, yoga, vegetarianism, nature, sightseeing, and healing.”
Gaza, Palestinian future to dominate UN gathering
More than 140 world leaders will descend on New York this week for the annual United Nations General Assembly summit, which will be dominated this year by the future of the Palestinians and Gaza. One world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president who Washington denied a visa to attend, along with his officials.
The humanitarian catastrophe ravaging the small Palestinian territory will top the agenda, two years after the beginning of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that was triggered by the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
In a break with convention, the General Assembly voted on Friday to allow Abbas to address the event by video link while he is represented in the chamber by the Palestinian ambassador.
The United States, Israel’s main ally, has also opposed recognition and had earlier warned it would deny visas to the Palestinian delegation.
All eyes will be on President Donald Trump who has initiated massive cuts to US foreign aid since his return to the White House, hammering UN agencies as humanitarian needs grow.
The United Nations, engulfed by deep financial crisis and raging wars, quietly celebrated its 80th anniversary this year while fending off criticism of its efficacy.
(With inputs from AFP)