'Betrayal of India's solidarity with Palestine': Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slams Centre for hosting Israel minister

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan flayed the Centre's decision to host Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in view of the "genocide" in Gaza.

Vijayan said in a social media post that entering into agreements with Israel now amounted to "betrayal of India's solidarity with Palestine".

"Strongly condemn the Union government’s decision to host Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right extremist and a chief architect of Israel’s brutal occupation and expansionist agenda," Vijayan said.

"At a time when a genocide is unfolding in Gaza, entering into agreements with representatives of the Netanyahu regime is nothing short of a betrayal of India’s historic solidarity with Palestine. It is deplorable to maintain military, security, and economic ties with Israel while the path to a just and lasting peace for Palestine remains unpursued," the CPM senior leader said.