Gaza rockets part of resistance, says Indian collective

Published May 18, 2021
This file photo shows Arundhati Roy. —Wikimedia Commons/Vikramjit Kakati
This file photo shows Arundhati Roy. —Wikimedia Commons/Vikramjit Kakati

New Delhi: Rockets fired by Palestinians against Israel are part of a “resistance” which is supported by international law, a group of writers and artistes led by Arundhati Roy and Nayantara Sahgal has declared, The Hindu said on Monday.

In a statement, the collective accused Israeli government of killing Palestinian children and blamed Israeli settlers for illegally trying to snatch Palestinian land. The collective, which includes actor Ratna Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin Shah, novelist Githa Hariharan and economist Prabhat Patnaik, said narration of the latest fighting in Gaza should not deprive Palestinians of their “dignity and right to resist”.

“Palestinians in Gaza fired rockets at Israel. The rockets did not start or define the brutality that followed. The rockets came as as part of a resistance — backed by international law — of an illegal occupation,” declared the statement from the collective.

It said Israeli retaliation with “extreme force” killed civilians, including children. India taking a stand on the flare-up has told the UN that the Gaza rockets were indiscriminate and the Israeli bombardment was retaliatory, a language not very different from President Joe Biden’s comments on the issue.

The collective urged the Egyptian air force to provide a ‘no-fly zone’ above Gaza strip and pointed to the lack of political will in the Arab world to protect the Palestinians.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2021

Must Read

Ukraine, Nato and the future of Europe

Ukraine, Nato and the future of Europe

The spectacle of the verbal spat between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelensky in the Oval Office was stark evidence of a tectonic shift in longstanding US foreign policy on Ukraine, Russia, Europe and Nato.

Opinion

Editorial

After the review
Updated 16 Mar, 2025

After the review

Should prepare economy for durable growth by attracting foreign private investments to boost productivity and exports.
Embracing crypto
16 Mar, 2025

Embracing crypto

IT seems a little prod was all it took for Pakistan to finally ‘embrace the future’. The Pakistan Crypto Council...
Fault lines
16 Mar, 2025

Fault lines

IT was a distressing spectacle, though a sadly predictable one. As the National Assembly took up for discussion the...
Revised solar policy
Updated 15 Mar, 2025

Revised solar policy

Criticism policy revisions misplaced as these will increase payback periods for consumers with oversized solar systems.
Toxic prejudice
15 Mar, 2025

Toxic prejudice

WITH far-right movements on the march across the world, it is no surprise that anti-Muslim bias is witnessing high...
Children in jails
15 Mar, 2025

Children in jails

PAKISTAN’S children in prison have often been treated like adult criminals. The Sindh government’s programme to...