G20 to Turn up Heat on Israel at Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brazil

Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip is expected to dominate the discussions at the upcoming G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM) in Rio De Janeiro this week amid growing criticism of Tel Aviv's actions in the international community, experts have told Sputnik India.

"The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is pricking the conscience of every one and given its potential to expand in wider regional theatre has become a major global challenge. Hence it is natural that the issue is on the agenda," Ambassador Anil Trigunayat, a former Indian envoy to Jordan, Oman and Malta, told Sputnik India.

Trigunayat noted that all the G2O members, which comprises BRICS nations, G7 bloc and the African Union (AU), have backed a direct dialogue on a two-state solution.

"Even the US is amenable to a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution for a temporary ceasefire, the release of hostages and uninterrupted humanitarian supplies to the Gazans," the former Indian envoy said, referring to reports that the US would finally back a temporary ceasefire after vetoing two resolutions since October.

Trigunayat expressed hope that the "G20 voice will further accentuate the call for ending hostilities" in the Middle-East.

Gaza Crisis Could be a 'Divisive Issue' for G20: Academic

Dr Swaran Singh, a Professor for Diplomacy and Disarmament at Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament (CIPOD), School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), reckoned that the Gaza crisis could prove to be a "divisive issue" for the G20 foreign ministers due to the "radical stance" adopted by the Brazilian President.

"While Brazil would definitely strive to reflect its stance on Gaza at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting, that formulation is unlikely to be accepted by the US. I believe some other countries will also have reservations on backing the Brazilian position," stated Singh.

Meanwhile, a representative of Palestinian Diaspora in Brazil told Sputnik Brazil that the Brazilian President's criticism of Israeli offensive is shared by many nations in the Global South.

"If the word Holocaust had not come from his lips, they would not have even listened to the statement... If you remember the apartheid regime in South Africa, the West will not budge, because its victims were not whites, but quite the opposite. The same reaction would have been to words about two opium wars, or about the crimes of Western colonialism," the representative said.

At the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Brazilian President Lula Inacio Lula De Silva spelled out three priorities for his country's G20 presidency--the fight against hunger, poverty, and inequality; the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social, and environmental); and the reform of global governance.

However, since the eruption of hostilities in Gaza in October, the focus of Brazilian G20 presidency has increasingly shifted to the Middle-East tensions. The Brazilian G20 presidency said this month that the Gaza War as well as the Ukraine crisis would be the major focal areas at the Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

'Not Sure if G20 Consensus on Ukraine Would Hold'

Singh said that it would be "dangerous to predict" if the consensus on the Ukraine issue among G20 countries at the New Delhi Summit last September would hold under the Brazilian Presidency.

While Moscow has said that it is open to negotiations to end the conflict, Kiev and its western partners have proposed a series of conditions to begin peace talks. The conditions have been rejected by Moscow.

"India managed to build a consensus on Ukraine only because of its neutral stance and refusal to take sides in the conflict. Maintaining that consensus during the Brazilian presidency will be a challenge for Brazil," the academic remarked.

Expect Brazil to Focus on Priorities of Global South Like India

Trigunayat remarked that he expected the Brazilian G20 presidency to continue to focus on the developmental priorities of the Global South, much like India did during its G20 presidency.

“India under her Presidency of G20 had become the voice of the Global South through which major issues, concerns and recommendations of these countries were ploughed in to the G20 agenda,” stated the ex-India envoy.

Trigunayat noted that being part of the G20 ‘Troika’ along with Brazil and South Africa, India would jointly like to focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advocate for reforming global governance.

For his part, Singh noted that the Brazilian presidency's priorities of fighting poverty and SDGs have dominated the G20 agenda since its inception after the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).

“The issue of global governance reforms has also been an important agenda item for the G20. In fact, along with developing nations such as India, Brazil and South Africa, developed countries like Japan and Germany have also been seeking a seat at the UN Security Council," he highlighted.

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