In 1974, India recognized Palestine Liberation Organization (popularly known as ‘Fateh’) as the sole representative of Palestinian people and subsequently in 1988, became the first non-Arab country to recognize the state of Palestine. Fast forward to 2025, today India is one of mutest voices on the grave issue of Palestine, especially at a time when the people of Palestine need a voice the most.
In this Blog, I will highlight how India’s foreign policy and moral standing on the Israel-Palestine issue has transitioned to a state, which has traits from that of a ‘Vishwaguru’ (so called).
India’s Age-Old Support for Palestinian Cause
The Israel-Palestine conflict, (in current scenario) stems back to over a century back, and so does India’s support for the Palestinian cause. In 1938, when the very idea of creation of a Jewish state (eventually Israel) was in a nascent stage, a set of Jewish scholars had also requested Mahatma Gandhi’s support for it. But, he affirmed that though he has all the sympathy for Jews and what they have went through in Europe, he can’t support them in claiming a land which belongs to Palestinians. Mahatma Gandhi said that “one wrong can’t be corrected by doing another wrong” and even questioned why the Jews can’t consider “whichever country they are living as theirs”. “Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French,” he famously said.
This support for Palestine from the Indian leadership remained rock solid the following years too. For those who don’t know India had voted AGAINST the creation of Israel in 1948 and affirmed the rights of Palestinians on the land. Even after the creation of Israel (though India recognized Israel in 1950), India continued with its steadfast support for Palestine. As I pointed above, India recognized PLO in 1976 and Palestinian state in 1988. Subsequently, in 1996, India opened its Representative Office in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003.
How close the India-Palestine ties were can be understood by the fact that Yasser Arafat, the PLO chief, visited India after Indira Gandhi’s assassination and burst into tears. It was only in 1992 that India established diplomatic ties with Israel. Arafat made a visit then as well with a mixed bag of emotions on New Delhi’s slight drift in policy. Despite Israel’s recognition, India’s strong voice for Palestinian rights remained firm. Arafat had even sent an intelligence input to Rajiv Gandhi about LTTE mission before his assassination. Years later, Sonia Gandhi was invited at Arafat’s funeral, though she couldn’t make it due to ‘security reasons’.
Yasser Arafat had very close ties with Indira Gandhi, who he even referred as “sister” (Photo: Maktoob)
The Modi-Netanyahu Bonhomie
A big turnaround in India’s stance on the issue came with Narendra Modi’s ascendence to power in India. Modi, who has never shied away from calling Netanyahu his “friend”, became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel in 2017 and also welcome him in India the next year. Though, he also visited Palestine the same year which too was historic in nature – only second by an Indian PM since Jawaharlal Nehru’s pit-stop visit in Gaza in 1960. “India and Palestine’s relations have stood the test of time. I have assured President Abbas that India is committed to the Palestinian people’s interests,” PM Modi said in Ramallah.
Though, even under BJP, India’s official position on the Israel-Palestine issue has remained more or less the same. In 2017, India voted against US’ decision of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Almost every year, Mr Modi has affirmed rights of Palestinian people on the occasion of ‘International Day of Solidarity for Palestine’. Even on global forums including UN, New Delhi has repeatedly emphasised the need for two-state solution as the only viable solution to the whole conflict.
However, when we come at ground, things at different. Whether it is the local cadre or the IT cell, there has been not just a blind support for Israel but also a huge disregard for the Palestinian people to the extent of dehumanizing them at times. From BJP leaders and IT cell openly calling out opposition leaders or activists supporting Palestine.
Let me point out a few examples: Priyanka Gandhi coming with a bag showcasing solidarity with Gaza was easily labelled “appeasement politics” by BJP as if there is no value of the lives of women and children being massacred in Gaza. On another instance, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and radical-considered Hindu monk, Yogi Adityanath, ‘mocked’ the Opposition for raising solidarity with Palestine and proudly said how many people from his state have been sent to work in Israel (as labourers). I don’t know what was there to ‘mock’ except his limited understanding and ugly outlook (will bring a detailed blog on this later). Not just this, on multiple occasions now, protestors raising solidarity with Palestine have been detained and disparaged from different parts of the country (BJP ruled states).
India’s foreign policy has drifted towards Israel under Modi’s regime (Photo: Al Jazeera)
Shift In Indian Sentiments On Palestine
There is no doubt in saying that the general stand in India on the Israel-Palestine issue has undergone a lot of transformation over the last decade or so. A major part in this has been played by the current regime, its hard-right politics and the similarities in the ideologies of Hindutva and Zionism. You will easily find right-wing Hindu groups/handles spewing hate against not just Indian Muslims but all around the world, especially against Palestine. If you see properly, those ‘celebrating’ the 2002 Gujarat riots or the 1992 Babri mosque demolition, are also the ones affirming ‘support’ for Israel and mocking the ‘genocide’ in Gaza.
Now, the most stupid logic put forward is that ‘Palestine has never supported India, why should we’. If your support for innocents being killed depends on whether or not, the leaders (present or past) supported India at a forum, then it’s not support, but selfishness. I already pointed out above how close the ties between India and Palestine have been in the past. Also, the WhatsApp forward claiming that Palestine voted in Pakistan’s support in UN over Kashmir issue, is fake…Palestine being a non-permanent UN member CAN’T vote at UN.
The other absurd reasoning that you hear is ‘Why sympathy for Palestine but not for Kashmiri Pandits’. Now, this is absolutely apple-orange comparison. There can be no justification of the abhorrent genocide of Kashmiri Pandits, and I have repeatedly condemned it. But what is the fault of Palestinians in that?
Yes, there was an event that could be concerning in this aspect. Some Hamas leaders joined a meeting of terror groups in Pak-administered Kashmir last year. But, here too, you can’t put Hamas and all the Palestinians in one bracket. After all, Hamas is not the representative of the whole Palestine and may not remain even of Gazans in a couple of months, and nor do I have any sympathy for that terror group.
Gaza has been under an abhorrent genocide (Photo: Guardian)
India’s Global Standing And Palestine
India has always been known for its vocal and strong standing on the issues of global conflicts. India had snapped all bilateral ties with South Africa and joined other countries in ending apartheid. India was one the strongest voice for Algeria during the Algerian struggle for independence (1954-62). During the Vietnam war, India was one of the few voices that dared to support the Vietnamese people. Even during Bangladesh’s struggle against Pakistan, India took the firm decision despite global pressure, invaded East Pakistan and liberated India’s eastern neighbour. Afterall, there is a reason why India’s leadership was considered one of the leaders among the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries, even when India hadn’t emerged as that big a power globally after independence.
And now compare this to India’s response on the Palestine issue under the current regime. Forget condemning, India has not even uttered a strong word for the Gaza conflict, considering Israeli actions has already been termed ‘genocide’ by the UN. At any global stage, India tries playing it safe with terms like “humanitarian situation”, “ceasefire” and “two-state solution”. India hosted Israeli finance minister Benzalel Smotrich, a man under global scrutiny for his role in expanding Israeli settlements in West Bank.
An Al Jazeera report found that Indian defence companies exported weapons including rocket launchers, drones and weapons systems to Israel, even while the latter was carrying out a genocide in Gaza. Now, I’m pretty sure that Indian leaders and foreign ministry are not that naive that they don’t know what the weapons will be used for. For the height of the matter, India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar defended this move calling it exercise of ‘national interest’. Well, I wonder if Mr Jaishankar would’ve the same opinion on Turkiye’s arm export to Pakistan days ahead of conflict with India this year. This is absolutely opportunist, selfish and spineless display of foreign policy from my country, and I can’t help but calling it out.
India, under the current leadership, never fails to self-proclaim itself as ‘Vishwaguru’ (teacher of the world) and Voice of the Global South. But, when it comes to perhaps the gravest humanitarian situation in the world today, it’s voice is muted. Netanyahu, during his UN address last month, said many countries that criticise Israel, praise him privately…well, I won’t be surprised if one such name is of India’s honourable prime minister. Recognition of a Palestinian state became quite an issue recently. Fortunately, India already recognizes Palestine, because had that hard choice had to be made today, I am pretty confident today’s hollow, opportunist and self-boasting leadership couldn’t have made that choice. At the end, my heart goes out for Palestinians, both in West Bank and Gaza, who continue to struggle for a simple humane recognition. I just hope my own country mends its ways and provides the voice, Palestinians need, at the global stage.
Thank you for your attention to the matter..!!!!
