Palestinian envoy calls war ‘litmus test’, thanks Kerala for unwavering solidarity

When this reporter spoke to Palestinian Ambassador to India, Abdullah Abu Shawesh, in Thiruvananthapuram on October 1, he had already been in Kerala for several days, attending multiple Gaza solidarity programmes. The conversation took place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, to which the ambassador responded that it was only the first step towards lasting peace and full statehood for Palestine.

Ambassador Shawesh said the solidarity expressed across Kerala had moved him, cutting across political lines between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF). He first came to Kerala at the invitation of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) for a Palestine solidarity conference, followed by a series of LDF-backed events, including the government-supported International Media Festival of Kerala, which opened with a session titled Salute Gaza.

The Ambassador appeared visibly emotional while speaking about the past two years in Gaza and expressed a faint but firm hope that the war might finally move towards an end, even as the response from Hamas was still awaited.

Also Read: PM Modi welcomes Trump's leadership in Gaza peace efforts

'Litmus test for global order'

“The joint war we are facing from Israel and the United States in Palestine is a litmus test for the global order. That’s why the solidarity we have been receiving from Kerala means so much to us. The world is largely standing with Palestine now, but to see this kind of support from a place like this is truly overwhelming,” said Shawesh.

“You don’t need to ask anyone in Gaza whether they have lost someone in this war; the real question is how many. My own family has lost dozens, mostly young people. For me, it’s deeply personal even as I speak here as the Ambassador of our national authority in India.”

Also Read: Palestinian envoy: ‘Trump’s Gaza proposal first step, ultimate goal is united Palestine’

Palestine solidarity events

Over the past few weeks, the political discourse in Kerala has been dominated by the Palestine question and the ongoing war in Gaza, with numerous solidarity events held across the state, most of them led by left-leaning organisations. The CPI(M) organised a massive rally in Kozhikode on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), which was attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Shawesh. Meanwhile, the Gaza Solidarity Conference organised by the IUML in Kochi on September 25, 2025, drew a huge crowd.

A standout among the recent solidarity initiatives is the Names of Gaza programme, organised by a collective of civil society organisations led by the Chintha Ravi Foundation, a trust named after the late filmmaker and writer Raveendran. Launched on October 2 in Kochi, the event involved the public reading of the names of children killed in Gaza, a number that has now reached nearly 18,000.

“We plan to hold Names of Gaza events in every district of the state, with each session reading out around 1,500 names so that the entire list can be covered by November 15”, said NS Madhavan, noted author and a former bureaucrat.

The Kochi event saw the participation of people from all walks of life, including former diplomat Venu Rajamony, retired Justice PK Shamsuddin, academic Prof. KP Sankaran, and film personalities Nikhila Vimal, Jyothirmayi, Aashiq Abu, Divya Prabha, Irshad, Pooja Mohanraj and singer Sithara Krishnakumar, all of them taking turns reading out the names of Gaza’s children.

“Though I had been continuously following news and writing about Israel's atrocious genocidal massacre in Gaza for the past two years, and though there were some public events expressing support and solidarity with the people of Palestine, 'The Names of Gaza' was a most different, and most heart-rending event that I ever participated in," said Renu Ramanath, a senior journalist and cultural commentator.

Also Read: Modi govt's response on Palestine abdication of humanity, morality: Sonia Gandhi

Rift between Left and Islamic organisations

While numerous events in solidarity with Palestine were being held across Kerala, there was also a noticeable shift in the state’s political landscape that worried many secularists. A growing strand of support for Israel, along with increasing condemnation of the Palestinian cause, marked a new and unfamiliar trend in Kerala. At the same time, visible rifts have emerged between the Left and certain Islamic organisations, such as Jamaat-e-Islami, which expressed doubts and mistrust towards some of the secular solidarity initiatives.

“If you look at social media over the past few years, there’s been a noticeable rise in pro-Israel engagement from profiles that promote right-wing Hindutva ideology. They share a similar pattern of content, often based on fake news, like claims of Hamas beheading children. Engaging in dialogue with people from such groups is completely futile,” said Renu Ramanath.

On the other hand, Islamist organisations raised different concerns against the government. They highlight cases such as the police action against a Girls’ Islamic organisation activist in Madayipara, Kannur, for organising a pro-Gaza protest. While the police argue that the protest was held on Devaswom land without permission, Jamaat-e-Islami and other groups believe that the government applied double standards when it when it came to the issues affecting minorities.

Also Read: Canada recognises Palestinian state ahead of UN General Assembly meet

Left stand remains same

“I have political differences with the Left and am a UDF supporter as well. But when it comes to the cause of Palestine, it’s unfair to suspect the Left parties. I have seen them stand firmly behind the cause for decades, and I don’t see Vijayan weakening that position,” said Mohammed Husain Thangal, a Malappuram-based former madrassa teacher and IUML supporter.

“There is clearly a growing pro-Israel sentiment, especially with the rise of right-wing Christian organisations like CAASA, backed by the BJP and RSS. But the broader ecosystem and atmosphere have changed drastically since 2014. As we all know, even our traditionally pro-Palestine stance has been diluted under the current dispensation that rules the country,” said a senior Congress leader.

However, the CPI(M) and other Left parties emphasised that they have historically taken a pro-Palestine stand and insisted that this is not an Islamic issue for them. They argue that Islamist organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami have been attempting to turn an anti-imperialist cause into a religious one, which was their main point of contention.

“The whole world is rising in protest against Israel, which has killed around 70,000 Palestinians, including women and children. We must stand in solidarity with them, with the awareness that every bomb and bullet falling on the Palestinian people is falling on our own bodies,” said party state secretary MV Govindan.

With both the local self-government (LSG) and assembly elections around the corner, Palestine is once again taking centre stage in Kerala — unsurprisingly emerging as a key election issue.