2-2-2026

Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, expressed confidence that the American peace plan aimed at eliminating Hamas in Palestine and establishing peace and development would succeed. He dismissed allegations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians as propaganda, stating that Israel has taken several precautions to prevent civilian casualties during the war. He said Israel has no faith in the United Nations, alleging that many Hamas elements have infiltrated the organization. Noting that both India and Israel face the problem of terrorism, he said the two countries must jointly eliminate terrorist forces. He expressed hope that discussions held by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy with Israeli companies at Davos would yield positive results. Reuven Azar spoke on several issues in an interview with Andhra Jyothy’s Delhi correspondent A. Krishnarao

Will the American plan to establish peace between Israel and Palestine succeed? There are doubts about it.

American leadership in this plan is very important to us. In our region, some try to turn even a military defeat into a diplomatic victory. Therefore, it is necessary for us to convert our military victory into a diplomatic victory. War is said to be a continuation of diplomacy; diplomacy too is a continuation of war. Our primary objective is to permanently remove the threat of terrorism from our lives. We believe the American plan will succeed.

Does the American plan really matter?

We have brought back all our hostages who were held by Hamas. Just yesterday, the last hostage returned as a body. While we may have destroyed Hamas’ military infrastructure, there is still a risk of the organization regrouping and attacking us again. The American peace plan seeks to dismantle Hamas through diplomatic means. More than half of Gaza is under Israeli control. However, the areas with the highest population density in Gaza remain under Hamas’ control. The plan aims to establish a new government without the involvement of Hamas or Fatah.

Why is the United States taking the lead when the United Nations exists? Many countries criticize Trump for acting as if the UN does not exist.

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution supporting America’s 20-point plan. That itself indicates Security Council support for us. We do not wish for a greater role for the UN, because some UN agencies have colluded with Hamas, especially the UN Relief and Works Agency. Established in 1948, this organization perpetuates the conflict by ensuring that Palestinian refugees are not resettled. Senior Hamas officials are part of this agency. That is why we do not trust the UN regarding the peace plan.

Is there any truth to allegations that Israel is committing mass killings in Palestine?

Several hostile countries in the UN are trying to rewrite international law. They portray Israel as deliberately starving Palestinian children and committing genocide. The number of children vaccinated by the World Health Organization in Gaza is higher than the number of children before the war. Where are the reports of deaths due to starvation? In reality, Israel has done everything possible to prevent civilian deaths during the war. The number of civilian casualties in this conflict is very low.

But it is being said that 70,000 people were killed in Israeli attacks. Is that a small number?

That is not true. Of those 70,000, about 11,000 died of natural causes. Around 5,000 were killed due to failed Hamas rocket launches. At least 25,000 of the dead were Hamas terrorists. In urban warfare, civilian casualties are generally high, often in a ratio of 1:4 or 1:5 compared to combatants. But in this war, civilian casualties are comparatively low. Still, even one death is tragic.

Many people in India believe that Israel is an aggressor and is carrying out mass killings of Palestinians.

Yes. This narrative needs to change. Several UN member states that distort facts, along with media outlets such as Al Jazeera from Qatar, TRT from Turkey, and some organizations that support Muslim countries, are driving this narrative. Israel is a small Jewish nation with a much smaller population compared to those supporting Palestinian terrorist organizations. As a result, the situation you describe prevails in mainstream media.

In India, poetry and literature also support Palestine. No one writes poetry supporting Israel.

Changing this situation is indeed a challenge for us. In reality, Israel follows higher standards than many other countries. We have faced attacks not just from Hamas but from adversaries on seven fronts. Iran provided direct and indirect support. Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and terrorist groups in Samaria were involved. For two years, we made extraordinary efforts. Naturally, we lack resources to create favorable narratives for ourselves. Israel has restored security in all sectors. We hope for a bright future for the Palestinian people.

We have been hearing about the Palestine issue since childhood. From Jimmy Carter to Trump, US presidents have tried. Will it succeed this time?

Even I am not fully confident that peace will be achieved. But sincere efforts must continue. Some American presidents succeeded. Peace was established with Egypt and Jordan. We signed agreements with four Arab nations. Efforts must go on. Peace is very important to us. We have good relations with our neighboring countries. We have given Palestinians many opportunities to establish peace.

Even when leaders like Arafat were present, nothing worked, right?

In 2000, we proposed that they could form a state, but Arafat rejected it. After a pause, he launched another war called the Second Intifada. In 2007 and 2008, we again proposed statehood. In 2005, we withdrew from Gaza. However, terrorist organizations repeatedly exploited these opportunities to attack Israel. Therefore, we decided not to allow such situations again.

How did the US include Pakistan in the peace council when Pakistan itself promotes terrorism against India? How can you support that?

It is Trump’s decision whom to include in the peace council. We cannot dictate diplomatic protocols. However, we remain firm on security matters. We will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas’ infrastructure is completely dismantled.

Your view on Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attacks against India? You condemned the Pahalgam attack.

Terrorism is terrorism anywhere. It should not be used as a tactic of war. Civilians should not be targeted. Terrorism is a global war. India and Israel must fight it together — not just militarily but diplomatically as well.

If peace is achieved, will Trump receive the Nobel Prize?
(Laughs) Let us see what happens.

Tell us about India–Israel relations.

Following the Hamas attack on Israel and India’s Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam attack, India–Israel relations have taken on a special character. This friendship must be strengthened further. Defense agreements have been signed. Talks are underway for another agreement to deepen industrial cooperation. We have signed the framework for a free trade agreement, which is expected to be finalized by the end of this year. By 2025, the number of Indian workers in Israel has doubled. Highly skilled Indian workers are greatly benefiting our construction sector. Israeli companies are in discussions to invest in Indian stock exchanges.

What is Israel’s role in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana?

Recently at Davos, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met our Finance Minister Nir Barkat and proposed an Israeli industrial park in Andhra Pradesh. We hope this proposal will move forward. I visited Telangana, where efforts are underway for cooperation between DRDO and Israeli defense technology firms. At Davos, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy discussed partnerships with the Israel Innovation Authority in AI, agriculture, climate change, and deep tech sectors. We hope these initiatives will succeed.