Israel-Palestine conflict: Why India can't afford to take sides

On 7 October, hours after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched one of its most daring and deadly attack on Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the “terrorist attack” and expressed solidarity with Israel. This was followed by a call between the leaders of India and Israel – PM Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu – on 10 October following which the former posted on social media: “People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.” Two days later, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a weekly press briefing has issued a formal statement on the evolving Israel-Hamas war, which has so far claimed nearly 3,000 lives, and its stance on the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine. What have we gathered from the statement? Where does India stand on the ongoing conflict? We explain it all. MEA speaks On Thursday, MEA’s Arindam Bagchi held a weekly press briefing in which he stated that the Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend was a “terrorist act.” When further asked how India views Hamas , he said the designation of a terrorist organisation under Indian laws is a legal matter. “I would refer you to the relevant authorities on this. I think we have been very clear that we see this as a terrorist attack. But on the designation part, the relevant authorities are best placed to respond to it,” he said. In the course of his briefing to the media, Bagchi also reaffirmed India’s long-standing position of direct negotiations towards establishing a “sovereign, independent and viable” state of Palestine living side-by-side at peace with Israel. Bagchi said, “Our policy in this regard has been long standing and consistent. India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel.”

VIDEO | "We have been very clear that we see it as a terrorist attack. As far as Palestine is concerned, India has advocated the resumption of direct negotations towards establishing the sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised… pic.twitter.com/wpmec9r8T6

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 12, 2023

When asked about the plight of people in the Gaza Strip in view of Israel’s counter-attacks and US president Joe Biden’s message to Tel Aviv to “operate by the rules of war ”, the MEA spokesperson stated that there was a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law as also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

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India’s diplomatic tightrope The MEA statement on the ongoing war is nuanced and reflects New Delhi’s balancing act. This is because India has strong ties with both stakeholders – Israel as well as Palestine . India in its early years had a pro-Palestine bent. Its ties with Israel changed much later – it recognised Israel in 1950 but did not establish diplomatic relations until 1992. In the years to follow, India’s diplomatic relations have changed; PM Modi has established closer ties with Tel Aviv. But Thursday’s remarks reflect Delhi’s tightrope walk, as it has Israel as a key partner and allies in a divided Arab world on the other, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran and Egypt. Notably, in an attempt to reach out on both sides, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a discussion with his counterpart from the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday on the ongoing issue. News agency PTI reported that the two leaders deliberated on the evolving situation during a phone conversation, with the Indian leader posting later on X: “Spoke to Foreign Minister @ABZayed of UAE this evening. Discussed the ongoing crisis in West Asia. Agreed to stay in touch.” [caption id=“attachment_13242652” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Israeli soldiers hold an Israeli flag while in a tank near Israel;s border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel. Reuters[/caption] For India, the West Asia region holds importance: over 90 lakh Indians live and work in the region and New Delhi imports more than 50 per cent of its crude oil requirements from the region. Moreover, India’s political and defence ties are also growing in the region. Importantly, India’s fourth largest trade partner today is Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, India is Israel’s biggest arms customer. Recently, India, along with the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union also announced the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. Prime Minister Modi had then said the connectivity project will be the basis of world trade for centuries. The project was also seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative project. However, the current violence is now pushing nations in the region and even across the world to pick and choose sides.

A divided world The Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing violence has triggered global concerns and divisions across the globe. The United States has made it amply clear that they are with their ally, Israel with President Biden saying: “In this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel.” Major European powers have also strongly backed Israel following the trauma of Saturday. In an unusual move, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Britain joined the US in making a joint statement of “steadfast and united support to the state of Israel” which condemned Hamas’ “appalling acts of terrorism”. [caption id=“attachment_13242682” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A person holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration in support of Palestinians. The Israel-Hamas war has divided the world. However, India has maintained a fine balance between the two. Reuters[/caption] “Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities,” said Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister Rishi Sunak, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and German chancellor Olaf Scholz. Other Western nations, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand have condemned Hamas and made statements of solidarity with Israel. Notably, the war has divided the Arab world too. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have criticised the Hamas attack in a rare departure from the past. The UAE slammed the Hamas attack as a “serious and grave escalation”. The UAE foreign ministry statement said it was “appalled” by reports Israeli civilians were taken as hostages from their homes, but avoided criticism of Israel’s deadly strikes on Gaza. Bahrain also criticised the attacks by Hamas, saying it constituted “a dangerous escalation that threatens the lives of civilians”. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia tried to strike a balance, mentioning “Israeli occupation forces”, with no condemnation of the Hamas attacks. Qatar, Kuwait and Oman have been critical of Israel. With inputs from agencies