Palestine issue not a Muslim-Jew conflict, but a humanitarian crisis: Ambassador

The Palestine issue is not a conflict between Muslims and Jews, as Zionists have long attempted to portray, but rather a humanitarian crisis and a matter of international law, Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, Ambassador of Palestine to India, has said.

Addressing the ‘Gaza Solidarity Conference’ organised by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kochi on Thursday (September 25, 2025), where he was the chief guest, Mr. Shawesh emphasised that the issue is not about Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, but about the occupation of Palestinian land by Zionists. He mentioned that the first government formed by the late Yasser Arafat included a Jewish minister.

Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, Ambassador of Palestine to India, and Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal, Indian Union Muslim League State president, at the conference.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

Recalling that India was among the first nations to recognise the State of Palestine and that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru consistently supported the Palestinian cause, Mr. Shawesh added that India’s solidarity with Palestine stems from a shared history.

He stressed that every individual has the potential to be a game-changer and play a vital role in advancing the Palestinian cause. “Our story is now known across the globe thanks to social media, which continues to be a powerful tool. Do not stop sharing and posting about our struggle and the suffering of our women,” Mr. Shawesh urged.

“We, the Palestinian people, can never be accused of terrorism, though Zionists always try to label us as such,” he said. Drawing from personal experience, Mr. Shawesh, who was born and raised in a refugee camp in Gaza, said he understood the suffering and its root cause, which is the Israeli occupation and ethnic cleansing.

While inaugurating the meet, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal lamented that the children of Gaza were being starved and denied a proper childhood. He condemned the genocide in Gaza, stating that it violates the Geneva Conventions on humanitarian treatment during armed conflict by targeting civilians, including women and children. Mr. Thangal also criticised the current Indian government for abandoning the Palestinian cause, which was once a nationalist slogan closely linked to India’s freedom movement.

IUML national secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty presided. Senior journalist and author Venkitesh Ramakrishnan delivered the keynote address.