Israel-Hamas-Gaza War: In a major change of stance from October 28, 2023, in the ongoing Israel-Hamas War in which the world is witnessing devastation in Gaza, India voted in favour of a non-binding UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on December 13, 2023, which called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza as well as an “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages. However, the past action by New Delhi has already put a question on India’s foreign policy that is undergoing a paradigm shift.
While the UN Resolutions are non-binding, which means Israel is not legally obliged to follow what is mentioned in text that has been adopted by an overwhelming 153 members out of 193, it is nevertheless a strong political messaging to the Benjamin Netanyahu government to stop its military actions in Gaza in its bid to eliminate Hamas. When a similar Resolution, also backed by the Arab countries, was passed in the UN in October, New Delhi chose to abstain from it since it did not "explicitly" condemn Hamas’ October 7 actions.
But interestingly, the Resolution that was passed this week also did not call out Hamas but India still chose to vote in favour even as New Delhi tried to hard-sell the concept of “strategic autonomy” to the world. Despite this move, Palestinians know that India is not going to be their friend forever, and that the closeness the two sides once shared is now a thing of the past.
Palestinians are now fully aware of the fact that this is not the same India that was the first country outside the Arab world to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1974, or that it was one of the first countries to recognise the Palestinian State in 1988. In 1996, New Delhi opened its Representative Office in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003.
The recent actions undertaken by India at the United Nations, and also the parallel moves undertaken by the Narendra Modi government, has made one thing crystal clear to the world that gone are the days when India’s foreign policy stance can be predicted. A ‘New India’ is fast giving shape to a brand new vision of the world. A recent case in point can also be seen in the way New Delhi has been treating Canada and the United States when it comes to the Khalistan issue.
ALSO READ | 'Drive For Palestinian Statehood' Will Survive Israel-Hamas War, India’s First Envoy To Palestine Tirumurti Says
Palestine Maintained Silence As India Grew Closer To Israel
When it comes to the Israel-Palestine issue, the Palestinian side is also to be blamed for not engaging with the Modi government more deeply vis-à-vis Israel. The silence from the Palestine side was deafening when India signed on to the quadrilateral grouping ‘I2U2’ (India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the US), or also when the government unveiled, on the margins of the G20 Summit, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC.
Not that their making noise would have made India change its mind but it surely would have helped promote their cause and kept the conversation around it active. President Mahmoud Abbas’ engagement with New Delhi fades substantially in comparison to the intense dialogue that used to be carried out by former President Yasser Arafat at a time when the Israel-Palestine conflict was still under control.
When President Abbas came on India visit in 2017 and met Prime Minister Modi, the latter had assured him of India’s “unwavering” support for the Palestinian cause. Modi also became the first prime minister of India to visit Israel. That should have been a signal enough for Abbas to realise that he could not be complacent in dealing with New Delhi.
In an interview to ABP LIVE, Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India, had said that “Abbas does not have the might to unite the Palestinians into a viable state that is solid, stable and anti-terrorism”, and that there has to be a stronger leader who will be able to unite all Palestinians.
However, it should also not be forgotten that despite intense pressure from Israel as well as its closest ally, the US, India has still not officially recognised Hamas as a terrorist organisation. This, despite the fact that Tel Aviv had listed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a “terror organisation” to mark the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Meanwhile, the plight of Gazans continues with nearly 20,000 Palestinians killed and more than 50,000 wounded. Considering the fact that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now rapidly getting into the election mode with PM Modi eyeing a third-term, it will be difficult for New Delhi to ignore the humanitarian catastrophe being played out there. It remains to be seen what shape will India’s policy take towards this issue when the dust settles as that will also reflect on some of the country’s own domestic tensions, particularly in the context of the Kashmir dispute.
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.]
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.]
India Has Now Voted In UN Calling For Gaza Ceasefire, But Past Abstention May Haunt New Delhi
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15.12.2023
Israel-Hamas-Gaza War: In a major change of stance from October 28, 2023, in the ongoing Israel-Hamas War in which the world is witnessing devastation in Gaza, India voted in favour of a non-binding UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on December 13, 2023, which called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza as well as an “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages. However, the past action by New Delhi has already put a question on India’s foreign policy that is undergoing a paradigm shift.
While the UN Resolutions are non-binding, which means Israel is not legally obliged to follow what is mentioned in text that has been adopted by an overwhelming 153 members out of 193, it is nevertheless a strong political messaging to the Benjamin Netanyahu government to stop its military actions in Gaza in its bid to eliminate Hamas. When a similar Resolution, also backed by the Arab countries, was passed in the UN in October, New Delhi chose to abstain from it since it did not "explicitly" condemn Hamas’ October 7 actions.
But interestingly, the Resolution that was passed this week also did not call out Hamas but India still chose to vote in favour even as New Delhi tried to hard-sell the concept of “strategic autonomy” to the world. Despite this move, Palestinians know that India is not going to be their friend........
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