Roving Periscope: Why has Israel banned LeT 15 years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack?
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: After over 45 days of ongoing death and destruction, which started with the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel has suddenly recovered its ‘voice of conscience.’
It usually happens at a nation’s convenience! Particularly when it is itself a victim of terrorism.
That is why even Pakistan, the global nursery of terrorism, claims to be a victim of terrorism itself.
Most nations follow the geopolitical policy of ‘our terrorist, their terrorist.’
Now, a good 15 years after the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror gang attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killing nearly 170 Indians and foreigners, Israel has banned this Pakistan-supported, trained, funded, and sponsored terrorist gang—amid reports that Islamabad is also unofficially doing defense business with Tel Aviv while its Islamist and terrorist leaders are inciting the masses against the Jewish state.
Interestingly, Israel has officially banned the LeT after finding it “responsible for the murder of Indians and others!”
Calling the LeT a “deadly and reprehensible” organization, Israel said it decided to designate it a terror organization—without any such request from India.
The Israeli intention stems from a possible quid pro quo: that India should also ban Hamas.
But neither has Hamas had anything to do with India nor has LeT had Israel on its radar.
“Despite not being requested by the Indian government to do so, the State of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks to introduce Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organizations,” the Israeli embassy in India said in a statement, according to the media reports on Tuesday.
“Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organization, 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 said.
The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on November 26 and lasted until November 29, 2008. Altogether 166 people, including several foreign nationals, died and more than 300 were injured.
Six Jews were among the 166 victims of the terror attack. All of them were killed at the Nariman House, popularly also known as the Chabad House.
Armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades, the Pakistan-based terrorists, who came via the Arabian Sea, targeted civilians at various sites in Mumbai, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, the popular Leopold Cafe, two hospitals, and a theatre.
They also took hundreds hostage at the Nariman House, the Oberoi Trident, and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
