On Thursday, February 26, 2026, the Congress criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Israeli Parliament, calling it an open defense of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and claiming it weakened India’s moral standing.
Taking aim at Mr. Modi, the opposition party recalled a July 1947 reply by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Albert Einstein, in which he addressed the issue of the formation of Israel.
Speaking at the Knesset on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Gaza Peace Initiative a step toward achieving a “just and lasting peace” in the region. He also expressed strong solidarity with Israel, stating that terrorism in any part of the world poses a threat to peace everywhere.
“I bring with me the heartfelt condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family devastated by the brutal terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023. India stands with Israel – firmly and unequivocally – both in this difficult hour and in the future. No cause can ever justify the killing of innocent civilians. There is absolutely no justification for terrorism,” Mr. Modi said.
Reacting sharply, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh criticized the Prime Minister’s address and referred extensively to Jawaharlal Nehru’s views. In a post on X, he stated that in his speech to the Knesset, which he described as a strong defense of his host, Prime Minister Modi highlighted that India had recognized the newly formed state of Israel on the day he was born.
Mr. Ramesh went on to reference Albert Einstein’s letter to Jawaharlal Nehru dated June 13, 1947, which addressed the question of the creation of Israel.
He noted that Nehru responded to Einstein a month later and recalled that the two leaders later met at Einstein’s residence in Princeton on November 5, 1949. Ramesh also mentioned that in November 1952, Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel, an offer he chose to decline.
He further pointed out that shortly before Einstein’s death in April 1955, he and Nehru exchanged letters discussing concerns related to nuclear weapons and atomic explosions.