‘Two-state solution has nothing to do with current war’

Israel is expanding its invasion into Hamas’s last stronghold of Rafah even without taking note of the concerns expressed by the U.S., their staunch supporter, aggravating the fears of a humanitarian crisis in Rafah where more than a million Palestinians are sheltered. This has even triggered fears in India, with the Indian government issuing a travel advisory to its citizens to avoid visiting Israel and Iran. Tammy Ben-Haim, Consul General of Israel to south India, who was on a visit to Kerala, spoke to The Hindu on a range of issues that create flutters in the public sphere of the country.

The Indian government last week advised its nationals to ’remain vigilant and be in touch with the Indian embassy while travelling to Iran and Israel’. How serious is the situation there?

There is nothing wrong in issuing a travel advisory or the government expressing concerns over the situation there. India had to issue a travel advisory the day after Iran shot 350 unmanned aircraft, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and basically any type of missile they had into Israel. And obviously, as a responsible government, India should issue an advisory.

Though India was very vocal in supporting Israel at the beginning of the war against Hamas, it recently reiterated its support for a two-state solution in the region. Also, India supported Palestine’s U.N. membership bid vetoed by the U.S. at the U.N. How do you assess India’s current position?

The possibility of a two-state solution is something to be resolved in a final status peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and has nothing to do with this current war. Many of our allies have their own visions about what the Middle East should look like. We can discuss this and work together. But first, the terrorist organisation, Hamas, funded and guided by the Iranian regime, needs to be stopped, and our hostages must come home.

The U.S. has paused a shipment of arms to Israel over concerns about a potential military offensive on the Gazan city of Rafah. Also, campuses across the US have been witnessing protest marches and rallies. How do you see these developments?

Israel has full confidence in the support of the U.S. and we will work together to allay any of their concerns. Regarding the protests on U.S. campuses, I would like to add that this is not the only struggle or war going on in the world, and when only one country, Israel, is singled out, the destruction of only one country is called for, then there must be something else at play - whether it’s external players orchestrating this or just pure anti-Semitism or some mix. It must be stopped.

Will you take any measures to ensure the safety of people in Rafah at a time when you are readying for a no-holds-barred attack against the Hamas?

From the beginning of this war we have been taking all possible steps to minimise collateral damage and ensure the safety of the citizens of Gaza. This is even being done at a cost to our military aims and our soldiers’ security. Israel has taken unprecedented steps to help civilians evacuate from areas where troops will be operating, including sending messages, calling them, dropping leaflets, and giving them ample time to leave. Also, we are making sure with the international partners that humanitarian aid is going into Gaza every day and to all parts of Gaza. That is why Hamas keeps launching rockets at the crossing through which this aid is coming. 

The war has so far taken the lives of around 35,000 people. Don’t you think it has to be stopped as soon as possible?

I don’t accept the numbers. Out of that number, around 20,000 are terrorists. Secondly, everybody wants the war to stop. The only group that doesn’t want the war to stop is Hamas. What we want to minimise is the suffering on the ground. The simple way to stop the war is to release the hostages held by Hamas. Release these hostages under their custody, just let them go. Not only in Gaza, but over half a million people in Israel are also displaced. Nobody wants this.