Telangana groups demand halt to Israel ties, seek postponement of T-Hub meet

Hyderabad: Civil society groups and social activists in Telangana have urged the Congress government to suspend its technology and business cooperation with Israel and postpone a proposed meeting with Israeli companies scheduled at T-Hub on November 16, citing concerns over their alleged links to military operations in Gaza.

At a press conference in Hyderabad on Saturday, representatives of several organisations released a joint statement questioning the state's engagement with Israeli technology firms, particularly those reportedly supplying defence, surveillance and artificial intelligence systems to the Israeli military.

Citing media investigations, the groups said five of the 20 companies expected to participate in the proposed business programme had links to technologies allegedly used in military operations against Palestinians.

They also raised concerns over DRISHTI 2.0, a defence technology initiative involving T-Hub and Israel's Ministry of Defence, and called for greater transparency regarding the partnership.

The organisations said the proposed engagement contradicted the principles of peace, human rights and international justice being discussed at the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad on November 13 and 14.

Their demands include an independent human rights assessment of participating companies, disclosure of agreements and technology transfers, and safeguards against the misuse of defence and surveillance technologies.

They also urged the government to ensure that public institutions and resources do not facilitate activities linked to alleged human rights violations.