India supports resolution in favour of negotiated solution to the issue of Jerusalem

Context:

• Palestine appreciates India and India’s vote in favour of a negotiated solution to the issue of Jerusalem and against U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of the holy city as the capital of Israel.

Why is it in news?

• US. President Donald Trump decides to unilaterally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• He also promised to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

What is the resolution passed against the US’s decision?

• A resolution has been passed in the United Nations General Assembly which calls upon the United States to withdraw its decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• It was approved by 128 votes – two-thirds of the 193-member UNGA.
• While 35 countries abstained and only nine countries voted against the resolution.

What is the debate?

• Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital.
• The Palestinians claim the city’s eastern sector, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as the capital of a future independent state.
• These rival claims lie at the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Who lives in Jerusalem?

• Roughly 850,000 people live in Jerusalem which is 37% are Arab and 61% are Jewish and another 1% is Arab Christians.
• The vast majority of the Palestinian population lives in East Jerusalem.
• Although there are some mixed neighbourhoods in Jerusalem where both Israelis and Arabs live, most of the neighbourhoods are split.

What is India’s take on the Issue?

• India voted for in favour of a negotiated solution to the issue and against U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition.
• India has also conveyed to the world that it stands for peace in West Asia.

Debate over India’s decision:

In support of Israel:

• India voted against its national interest, because Palestine has never supported India on Kashmir question.
• West Jerusalem belongs to Israel, so there was nothing wrong with the US’s decision.
• Moreover, India and Israel appeared to have struck up a noteworthy friendship on the former’s visit to Israel in July.
• With Israel, India shares a common bond that goes into ancient history.
• Israel is also a part of the three-way relationship with the US.

In support of Palestine:

• There was ample evidence to show that the world opinion was not in favour of giving a stamp of recognition to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
• India has not officially explained why it voted against Donald Trump administration’s move but India had categorically stated that its Palestine position was independent and consistent.
• India has huge strategic and economic interests in the 57 member countries of the (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) so, a decision against the prevailing sentiments in these countries might unnecessarily create a strain in relation with India.
• With Palestine, there is a shared culture via the presence of Islam in India as well as India’s close ties with Arabs since ancient times.

Conclusion:

• As far Indian stand on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict India is definitely is at a fix and should have opted for a more “diplomatic”