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Ramallah recall: On India’s Palestine policy
Context:
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Palestine signals India’s strategy to grow ties with Israel and Palestine separately
India-Israel ties:
- In recent years, India has built strong ties with Israel
- In 2017, Mr. Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel
- Israel is also a source of defence equipment and agricultural technology in India
India-Palestine ties
- India has been a champion of the Palestinian people’s national aspirations
- In 2017, India had voted along with a vast majority of member-states at the UN General Assembly against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
- Recently, in Ramallah, the Palestinian National Authority’s administrative headquarters, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s support for the Palestinian cause, saying it “hopes that Palestine soon becomes a sovereign and independent country in a peaceful atmosphere”.
- Both sides also signed a number of agreements for India-funded projects in the West Bank.
- Traditionally, India has supported the creation of an independent Palestine within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Why is India not completely supporting Israel?
- Israel has been facing political isolation internationally over its occupation of the Palestinian territories.
- It also does not have diplomatic ties with most countries in West Asia.
- India, which has vital interests in the Gulf and enjoys good ties with the region’s Muslim countries, cannot afford to be seen to be politically closer to Israel at the expense of ties with Palestinians.
Conclusion:
India’s policy objective is clear and rooted in political realism. It wants to maintain the balance in its relationship with both Palestine and Israel, and strengthen bilateral ties with each separately.
