In Israel-Palestine conflict, India maintains non-partisan, pro-peace policy

India

oi-Jagdish N Singh

Pertinently,
most
of
the
previous
governments
in
New
Delhi
had
been
biased
against
Israel
in
their
policy.
They
backed
an
independent,
sovereign
state
of
Palestine
within
the
1967
borders
with
East
Jerusalem
as
its
capital.

The
stand
New
Delhi
has
taken
during
an
emergency
UN
Security
Council
session
on
the
recent
violence
in
Gaza
clearly
shows
India’s
central
concern
is
peace
for
and
welfare
of
the
entire
humanity
in
the
region.

At
the
session,
India’s
Permanent
Representative
to
the
United
Nations
Ruchira
Khamboj
said,”Long-term
peace
in
Israel
and
Palestine
can
be
achieved
only
through
a
negotiated
two-State
solution
leading
to
the
establishment
of
a
sovereign,
independent
and
viable
State
of
Palestine
living
within
secure
and
recognized
borders,
side
by
side,
at
peace
with
Israel,
taking
into
consideration
the
legitimate
security
needs
of
Israel.”

Israel-Gaza:
Egypt
reportedly
pushing
for
cease-fire

Representative
Khamboj
called
for
an
immediate
resumption
of
talks
between
Israeli
and
Palestinian
governments
and
advocated
the
delivery
of
humanitarian
assistance
to
Palestinian
civilian
population
in
Gaza.

Observers
say
the
Khamboj
proposition
is
very
much
in
tune
with
the
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
government’s
non-partisan,
pro-peace
policy
towards
the
region.
Prime
Minister
Modi
said
after
the
India
visit
of
Palestine
President
Mahmoud
Abbas
in
May
2017,
“[W]e
hope
to
see
the
realisation
of
a
sovereign,
independent,
united
and
viable
Palestine,
co-existing
peacefully
with
Israel.”
Earlier,
in
his
talks
with
Abbas
at
the
administrative
headquarters
of
the
Palestinian
Authority
in
2015,
Prime
Minister
Modi
avoided
any
reference
to
Palestinian
claim
to
its
borders
or
to
Jerusalem.
He
simply
said
New
Delhi
hoped
to
see
an
early
realisation
of
a
“sovereign,
independent
Palestine
living
in
a
peaceful
environment.”
Pertinently,
most
of
the
previous
governments
in
New
Delhi
had
been
biased
against
Israel
in
their
policy
towards
the
region.
They
backed
an
independent,
sovereign
state
of
Palestine
within
the
1967
borders
with
East
Jerusalem
as
its
capital.
In
November
2013,
then
Prime
Minister
Manmohan
Singh
said
in
a
statement
on
the
occasion
of
the
International
Solidarity
Day
with
the
Palestinian
People,
“India
supports
a
negotiated
resolution,
resulting
in
a
sovereign,
independent,
viable
and
united
State
of
Palestine
with
East
Jerusalem
as
its
capital,
living
within
secure
and
recognised
borders
side
by
side
and
at
peace
with
Israel…”

The
observers
opine
the
international
community
would
do
well
to
heed
India’s
prescription
for
the
peace
and
prosperity
of
the
entire
region.
The
main
reason
for
the
continuance
of
conflict
in
the
region
is
that
the
Palestinian
Authority
does
not
seem
to
be
genuinely
committed
to
honour
Israel’s
right
to
exist.
Militant
outfits,
such
as
Hamas
and
Palestinian
Islamic
Jihad
(PIJ),
openly
indulge
in
the
activities
aimed
at
destroying
the
Jewish
State.
They
fire,
from
time
to
time,
rockets
from
Gaza
over
the
areas
close
to
Jerusalem.
The
PA
must
unambiguously
accept
Israel’s
right
to
exist
and
rein
in
the
elements
that
promote
the
politics
of
hatred
and
violence
against
the
Jews
in
the
region.

(Jagdish
N.
Singh
is
a
senior
journalist
based
in
New
Delhi.
He
is
also
Senior
Distinguished
Fellow
at
the
Gatestone
Institute,
New
York)

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opinions
expressed
in
this
article
are
the
personal
opinions
of
the
author.
The
facts
and
opinions
appearing
in
the
article
do
not
reflect
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of
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