Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, Indian American
Congressman Shri Thanedar has described Hamas as “barbaric” terrorists, who
should be eliminated and its military capabilities dismantled.
“Hamas is not a militant organisation. Hamas is not a
resistance movement, they are just barbaric terrorists. This is a time when we
just can’t just push them because they will regroup and come back and do these
atrocities once again. Yes, that’s what they will do. So, you know, we need at
this stage to eliminate them. Eliminate the space of this, you know, we need to
dismantle their military operations,” stated Thanedar.
On October 7, Hamas launched an attack on Israel,
killing over 1,400 people and taking over 200 hostages.
Speaking at an event in support of Israel at the US
Capitol Hill, Thander, on Monday pointed out the suffering of civilians in Gaza
and called for their freedom from the terrorist group.
“We need to free the Palestinian people, the two
million Palestinian people that live in Gaza. They need to be freed from these
terrorist controls of Gaza. So that addition is what I feel. Now there is a lot
of talk about ceasefire, but I feel that it’s premature, these Hamas terrorists
have used the civilians,” Thanedar said.
He further said, “Misused the civilians as a shield
for them and unfortunately that’s causing tremendous loss which is so
regrettable. Tremendous loss of lives of innocent people. But these innocent
people they need to have their future, they need to have their life, they need
to have their human rights and they need to be freed from the oppression of
Hamas and basically exploitation Hamas is doing of these innocent civilians in
Gaza.”
Thanedar also highlighted the loss of civilian lives
on both sides, Israel and Gaza and condemned the attacks on Israel.
“Loss of civilian life, whether it is Israeli civilian
life or Palestinian civilian life should not happen, that’s something that’s
never desirable and never got to come. And I was one of the first members of
Congress to protest when Hamas, which is clearly a various organization that
came in and attack Israel,” he said.
US Congressman George Santos, who also addressed the
event, embraced the message of unity in the world and condemned the Hamas
attack on Israel.
“That’s my message, unity and standing strong with one
another. I want to thank you all for taking the time to put this effort
together to show the rest of the world that there could be peace through
strength and through unity to very different communities, two very different
ethnic groups to very different religions. Yet we both stand together here in
this room representing what’s right. This is not about preference. This is
about what’s right and wrong and what’s happening to Israel is wrong. It’s
abhorrent…,” Santos said.
Meanwhile, Nissim Reuben, Program Director of
Indian-Jewish Relations at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), said at a
Congressional briefing in support of Israel that India is the only country with
no history of antisemitism.
He also expressed solidarity with Israel in its fight
against the terrorist group Hamas.
“India is the only country in the world with no
history of antisemitism. Never ever were Jews persecuted in India until the
Mumbai attacks of 2008, which were perpetrated by terrorists that came from
across the border. That’s why even today in Israel, Indian Jews say that Israel
is our fatherland. India is our motherland. Israel is in our hearts. India is
in our blood,” he said.
He further expressed gratitude that the Indian
American diaspora, the global Indian diaspora, the people of India, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, and the Indian Government have solidly supported Israel
in its ongoing war with Hamas.
“It was a brutal terror attack… Israel has gone
through a tremendous tragedy, but it will overcome and rebound. And we as
Indian Americans and Indians will never forget that Israel came to India’s
help, assistance with defence, much-needed defence equipment in the wars of
1965 and 1971, and of course, Kargil 1999, when Israel rushed much-needed
defence supplies,” he added.
ANI
