'India Not a Fence-Sitter': BJP Politician on UN's Genocide Charge on Israel

A politician from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said that New Delhi should double down on its engagements with both sides in the Gaza war, as New Delhi balances its ties between Israel and the Gulf states amid heightened tensions in the wake of Israeli strikes in Doha last week and the convening of the Arab–Islamic extraordinary summit in the Qatari capital this week.

"India has always maintained a principled position: we support the two-state solution, we call for peace, and we condemn terrorism in all its forms. Our stand is not about walking a tightrope—it is about balancing values with strategic realities," BJP's Savio Rodrigues told Sputnik India.

India will engage with both sides, not as a fence-sitter, but as a nation committed to peace, security, and justice, the Indian politician underscored.

Rodrigues described the UN probe's findings accusing Israel of committing a genocide as concerning, but also criticised the UN for being "selective in its outrage" as far as Israel was concerned.

At an official level, India has condemned the 7 October terrorist attack by Hamas and backs the release of 48 remaining hostages. At the same time, New Delhi has continued to throw its weight behind a two-state solution, called for unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza and backed a ceasefire at the United Nations (UN).

Last week, India voted in favour of a United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution endorsing the ‘New York Declaration’ centred on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question and implementation of a 'two-state solution'.

On September 10, following the Israeli strikes at purported Hamas targets in Doha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to register New Delhi's condemnation of what he described as a "flagrant violation of all international laws and norms", according to a Qatari readout.

The Indian diaspora is the largest expatriate community in Qatar, which is also the biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to India. As far as the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ties are concerned, the seven Gulf monarchies host around 10 million Indian expatriates, with trade between New Delhi and the region totalling $178 billion last year.

On the other hand, India-Israel ties in defence, trade and investment, connectivity, technology or migration and mobility have grown from strength-to-strength since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014.

Rodrigues says that India's multi-aligned foreign policy balancing its interests with both Israel and the Arab nations should factor in three broad aspects.

"For India, three things are at stake: first, the safety and security of Israeli and Palestinian citizens, including the immediate release of the remaining Israeli hostages. Second, our strategic and technological partnership with Israel, which has stood by India even when many in the world chose silence... Third, our moral voice in the international community, where India must continue to advocate for peace while rejecting extremism," the ruling party leader said.

"At the same time, humanitarian concerns in Gaza cannot be ignored," Rodrigues said.

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