East or West: Which Side Will India Pick in Israel-Palestine Conflict?
19:00 14.11.2023 (Updated: 11:08 15.11.2023)
© AFP 2023 JACK GUEZ
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The India-US joint statement after the 2+2 meeting last week said that both nations stood with Israel against “terrorism”, which was viewed as a convergence of positions on the Israel-Palestine issue.
In spite of American “pressure” on India to take a pro-Israel line, New Delhi would be well advised to continue to take a balanced line on the issue of Palestine, a strategic affairs expert has told Sputnik India.
“The US’ influence in the Middle-East has declined sharply in the last few years. On the other hand, the role of BRICS nations in the region has increased, particularly after the China-brokered détente between erstwhile regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran this year,” Indian expert Qamar Agha stated.
“The US’ influence in the Middle-East has declined sharply in the last few years. On the other hand, the role of BRICS nations in the region has increased, particularly after the China-brokered détente between erstwhile regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran this year,” Indian expert Qamar Agha stated.
“In fact, India’s position on the Palestine issue is closer to that of BRICS countries rather than the US,” the Indian expert underlined.
Agha claimed that border differences between India and China, which New Delhi says have affected overall bilateral ties, were preventing the BRICS nations from coordinating their policy positions on major global issues such as the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
“For India, it would be in its interest if Russia, rather than China, plays a bigger role in BRICS grouping,” the strategic affairs analyst reckoned.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held the 2+2 Dialogue in New Delhi last week.
In fact, Blinken undertook an extensive five-nation visit to Middle-East and Asia-Pacific in a bid to whip up support for Israel’s war effort in Gaza, amid a growing international outrage over a rising Palestinian death toll and growing chorus for a ceasefire.
The G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting on 8 November condemned “terror attacks by Hamas” as well as its ongoing missile attacks against Israel, backing Tel Aviv’s “right to defend itself”.
However, despite Blinken’s efforts to pressure Asia-Pacific nations into aligning their respective positions on Israel with that of the US, India, Japan and South Korea voted against Tel Aviv on a resolution on “Israeli settlements” in Palestinian territories at the United Nations General Assembly on 9 November.
An overwhelming 145 nations voted against Israel, while just seven countries, including the US and Canada, voted in support of Tel Aviv.
Last month, India had abstained from a Jordan-sponsored UN General Assembly resolution calling for humanitarian truce in Gaza. New Delhi’s deputy Permanent Representative Yojana Patel explained at the time that India didn’t back the resolution as it didn’t explicitly condemn Hamas over the 7 October attack.
Position of BRICS Partners on Israel-Palestine War
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has called out Israel over its escalating response to the 7 October attack, saying that Tel Aviv’s action had gone “beyond the scope of self-defense”.
Wang has said that Beijing would promote efforts to achieve a “ceasefire”.
While condemning “terrorism”, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed reservations over perceived violations of international humanitarian law and “indiscriminate use of force” in areas with a civilian presence.
South Africa’s foreign minister Naledi Pandor, on the other hand, has been vocal in denouncing Israel, even calling for an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
While New Delhi has condemned the “terrorist attack” by Hamas and demanded unconditional release of hostages held by the Palestinian group, it has also reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
During a telephone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last week both called for “concerted efforts for early resolution of the situation”.
‘Continuity and Change’ in India’s Position
Agha underscored that there was “continuity and change” as far as India’s stance on the Israel-Palestine dispute was concerned.
“As we have seen during the UN General Assembly vote last week, India voted against Israel. But India’s incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is tilted towards Israel," the expert explained.
Agha recalled that BJP’s political predecessor Jana Sangha also backed maintaining closer ties with Israel.
“The (main opposition) Congress party, on the other hand, has taken a more pro-Palestine stance which has characterized India’s foreign policy on the dispute since 1947,” Agha remarked.
Ties between Israel and India have gained unprecedented momentum since Prime Minister Modi assumed power in 2014.
The two nations have developed extensive cooperation in the realms of counter-terrorism, defence, agriculture and technology among other crucial sectors.
In fact, Israel’s defence exports to India rose by nearly 175 percent between 2015 and 2019, according to Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Agha, however, underscored that even the BJP realised the importance of striking a balance on the Israel-Palestine dispute because of economic and people-to-people ties with the Gulf monarchies.
Agha, however, underscored that even the BJP realised the importance of striking a balance on the Israel-Palestine dispute because of economic and people-to-people ties with the Gulf monarchies.
"There are deep emotional bonds between India's approximately 200 million Muslims and Arab-Palestinians," he stated.
Qatar, on the other hand, ranks as the biggest source of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for India.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are also viewed as a crucial source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in India, helping in generating employment for India’s growing population.
Agha noted that millions of Indian workers and professionals in the Middle-East sent around $60 billion in annual remittances to their homes, another factor which couldn’t overlooked by the Modi government.
‘Deep Differences’ in India Over Support for Israel
The strategic affairs analyst stated that PM Modi’s government had to contend with “deep divisions” in Indian society over the “ruling party’s inclination to support Israel”.
“In the last 10 years or so, there has been a growing Indian middle-class living in cities. These people identify more with the US and seem to be more inclined to back Israel,” Agha explained.
The expert, however, added that a large section of the Indian population still supports the Palestinian cause "in heart and spirit".
“It is not just the Muslims or Muslim organizations who are backing Palestine. A large section of non-Muslims is also critical of Israel’s policies,” Agha noted.
The Indian analyst added that many Indian trade unions have opposed the idea of sending Indian construction workers to Israel, despite understanding the importance of employment for a populous nation like India.
“I would say that support for Palestine has been more visible in states which have non-BJP governments in power, including Kerala and Karnataka,” Agha concluded.
