Netanyahu, his govt barbaric; their barbarism supported by West: Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what she said were the Israel government's "genocidal actions" in Gaza, as she accused him and his government of "barbarism".

The Congress general secretary's remarks came after Netanyahu defended Israel's ongoing war in Gaza in a speech to the US Congress on Wednesday.

Netanyahu received a warm welcome from House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican lawmakers who arranged his speech in the chamber.

Netanyahu received a bipartisan standing ovation.

Priyanka Gandhi said it was no longer enough to speak up for the civilians, mothers, fathers, doctors, nurses, aid workers, journalists, teachers, writers, poets, senior citizens and the thousands of innocent children who were being wiped out day after day by the "horrific genocide" taking place in Gaza.

"It is the moral responsibility of every right-thinking individual, including all those Israeli citizens who do not believe in hatred and violence, and every government in the world to condemn the Israeli government's genocidal actions and force them to stop," she said in a post on X.

Their actions are unacceptable in a world that professes civility and morality, Priyanka Gandhi said.

"Instead, we are subjected to the image of the Israeli prime minister being given a standing ovation in the US Congress," she said.

"He (Netanyahu) calls it 'a clash between barbarism and civilisation'. He is absolutely correct, except that it is him and his government that are barbaric and their barbarism is being given the unstinted support of most of the western world. It is truly a shame to watch," Priyanka Gandhi said.

The Congress leader has been raising her voice against Israel's actions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.