Recent Visits:
- India’s President’s Visit to Palestine
- Palestine’s President’s Visit to India
- PM Modi’s Visit to Palestine
Background:
- India’s economic and political support for Palestinian
- Announced projects for capacity building in Gaza and West Bank
- Provided budgetary support ($5mn)
- India’s position is that it supports a peaceful solution to Israel-Palestinian crisis based on negotiations and UNSC resolutions. India would continue to support resolution on the formation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 border at UN.
- Supports a sovereign, independent, viable and united Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital and recognised borders
- India announced:
- Projects for capacity building in Gaza and West Bank
- $5 million budgetary support
- Palestine wants India to be involved in talks, besides Arab countries, EU, Russia and other members of BRICS
India has recently abstained from voting on a resolution on Palestine adopted at UNHRC that called for accountability by parties involved in last year’s conflict in Gaza.
India has played a “proactive role” in garnering support for Palestine cause in all multinational forums.
India and Palestine have signed an agreement for setting up of a techno park in Ramallah with an Indian grant of $12 million
5 MoUs signed on:
- Visa exemption for diplomatic passport holder,
- Agriculture cooperation,
- Cooperation in field of IT & Electronics,
- Health sector
- Cooperation in the field of youth affairs and sports
Agreements signed on Modi’s Palestine Visit:
- Setting up a $30 million super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur
- Agreements were also signed to build schools,
- A diplomatic training institute and
- A woman’s empowerment and training centre.
Critically examine the role of India, along with Israel, in ending the occupation, colonisation and dispersement and help bring peace back to Palestine. (200 Words)
India’s role in the Israel-Palestine conflict has evolved from being a vocal supporter of Palestine to having strong ties with Israel. During the pre-independence era, India immersed in the anti-colonial struggle refused to accept the Israeli Zionist viewpoint that Palestine was a land without people.
Our position was led by Gandhiji and Nehru. India opposed the occupation of Palestine by Israel, US and UK. This position of unwavering support the Palestine cause and opposition to Israel existed for about 4 decades, as we continued to be non-aligned in the global order. Through this stand, though we could not achieve much at the ground level.
It was in the early 1990s that a gradual shift in our stand became apparent. Our ties with Israel, especially in the military sector really blossomed. Though our official stand on Palestine did not change and we still continue to provide moral support, yet we no longer are as vocal in our support to Palestine as in the past.
This has been reflected on our silence on the growing colonisation of Palestine lands by the Israeli government. The global war on terror post-2001 has not helped the cause of Palestine either.
To bring back peace to Palestine, a unified international solidarity campaign is the most effective way to reach a comprehensive solution. India should be a part of a multinational engagement in bringing peace back to Palestine. With India holding ‘Peace’ as its foreign policy plank, there is a need to play proactive role in areas of negotiations, contributing to peace keeping forces, funds for rehabilitation, gathering support for Palestinian freedom, simultaneous Independent Israel policy, bringing different groups for talks through multilateralism
How has recent election outcome in Israel altered the possibility of granting independent statehood to Palestine? Also examine if there is any change in India’s policy towards Palestine in recent months. (200 Words)
In 2012, the United Nations approved the de facto recognition of a Palestinian state – there were 138 votes in favour, nine against and 41 abstentions. US President re-stated US support for Palestinian statehood, also. But, relations between Tel Aviv and Washington are at a low point after Netanyahu addressed Congress earlier this month on negotiations with Iran.
Palestinian statehood is currently in failed condition, because:
- It is hard to see how a viable two-state solution is possible
- Public’s strong support for Netanyahu was a response to the reality of Palestinian violence and extremism
- Israeli voters paid attention to the reality around them and voted accordingly
- Existence of ISIS is getting more attention than Palestine, unless ISIS is control violence and extremism in region will not constraint, and dialogue for granting statehood needs peace.
India’s Stand of Palestine:
- India has always favoured humanitarian situation in Gaza, and tried to come harsher on Israel.
- India’s ties with Israel in Defence and Energy sector are more vital than Palestine, but India has set up a mission in Palestine and supported its bid to statehood in UN.
- Iran deal and reaction from Israel is vital to India’s position in Middle East.
Thus, question of Palestine statehood is complex, Israel must not adhere to further violence in Gaza, Hamas must constrain all sort of extremism, and UN must solve matter quickly and peacefully taking all stakeholders into considerations.