In a gesture of solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism, Israel on Tuesday listed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation ahead of the 15th year anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai that killed over 160 people, including a number of Israeli nationals.
“Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations,” the Israel Embassy said in a statement in New Delhi.
Ten Pakistani terrorists entered south Mumbai areas through sea route, attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre, and indiscriminately killed 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and a number of Israelis on November 26, 2008.
“Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organisation, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others.
“Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies,” the statement added.
“Yes, I can confirm it. It’s not a new thing and it is actually from 2013.
“It was recently re-published because of a bureaucratic error but it is not a new thing,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lior Haiat, told PTI.
Incidentally, the re-affirmation comes weeks after Israel said the time had come for India to declare Hamas a terror organisation.
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip since 2007, used land, sea and air routes to launch an attack on Israel territories that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians on October 7.
It prompted Jerusalem to declare war on the Islamic outfit, killing more than 11,000 people.
In almost a similar manner, on November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists entered the south Mumbai areas through a sea route and attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre. The indiscriminate attack killed 166 people, including six Jews and 18 security personnel.
Six Jews were killed at Nariman House, more popularly known as the Chabad House, considered by many Israelis as a “shared pain.”
“While Israel only lists terror organisations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognised by UNSC or the US State Department; the Israeli Ministries of Defence and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months
towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global
Front in combating terrorism,” the release stressed.