Off-centre | The Israel-Hamas War: India’s decisive foreign policy tilt

In recent memory, no foreign war or conflict has so stirred Indians as Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas. Soon after the 7 August strike on Israel by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Shortly thereafter Modi issued a strong statement in support of Israel as well as a condemnation of terrorism in all forms. Since then, most Indians have rallied behind their prime minister, showing unprecedented pro-Israeli fervour. Leading Indian channels and anchors are seen from the war front, with daily reportage, even when there is very little ostensibly happening on the ground. India has shown open loyalty to Israel, whose help it has received in every major conflict with Pakistan in the past. In a way, India also demonstrated its loyalty to long-standing ally and supporter, Russia, by not condemning the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. But there is a major difference between these two expressions of loyalty. Since Modi became prime minister in 2014, India’s tilt towards Israel has become more pronounced and overt, rather than secret and shamefaced, as in the past. That same year, 2014, in a UN vote on Israel’s war crimes, India abstained from voting. Modi also became India’s first prime minister to visit Israel in 2017. The Indo-Israeli partnership is not only strategic, but involves technology, business and educational partnerships. What is more, there are over 80,000 Israelis of Indian origin and close to 20,000 Indian students and workers in Israel. But what is perhaps more important is that India is no longer hostage to the compulsions of what some have called “Muslim appeasement". To understand the true import of India’s pro-Israel shift, we might compare the Modi administration’s response to the world’s two ongoing wars: The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Both of these wars have significant implications for regional and global security, as well as for the humanitarian situation of the affected populations. India, as a rising power and a responsible actor in the international arena, has been closely following these developments and has expressed its views on both of them. When it came to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, India maintained a balanced and nuanced position. The conflict commenced in 2014, with the annexation of Crimea by Russia, but full-scale war broke out last year when Russia invaded Ukraine. India has recognised the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, but has also refrained from openly criticising Russia, its strategic partner and a major supplier of defence equipment. Nor has India supported or joined Western sanctions against Russia. Instead, India has supported the diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully, such as the Minsk agreements and the Normandy format talks. India’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine reflects its pragmatic and non-aligned foreign policy, which seeks to maintain good relations with both Russia and the West, without overtly taking sides in their rivalry. Though under tremendous pressure from the United States, India maintained its resolve not to name and blame Russia. Instead, India played the peacemaker, especially as the President of the G20, a role that both the US and Russia lauded publicly. India’s stance that a peaceful solution can be found through dialogue and respect for international law was appreciated by both sides. But when it came to Hamas’s Gaza strike, the response was markedly different. One reason is that Hamas is neither a state nor government in the normal sense of the word. Hamas militants also displaced despicable cruelty in massacring innocents, with images of their horrible deeds flashed all over global media. That is why, India, which had adopted a more balanced approach in the past, came out all guns blazing, so to speak, in favour of Israel this time. Compare this with the last Israel-Hamas conflagration, which erupted in May 2021, after weeks of tensions in Jerusalem. That war resulted in hundreds of casualties and widespread destruction. India condemned the indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, but also expressed concern over the disproportionate use of force by Israel in Gaza. India called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a restoration of peace. It also reiterated its support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on mutual recognition and coexistence. This time, as we know only too well, the response is much more direct and definite. India has lined up behind Israel along with the latter’s Western allies such as the United States and Europe. There is much less balancing and prevarication this time. Why? One reason is that India’s strategic partnership with Israel, especially in defence, agriculture and innovation, is stronger than ever. But the ruling BJP’s Hindu vote bank is so solidly and vocally in support of Israel that India’s stance against Hamas actually shores up the government’s support base in India. Predictably, the I.N.D.I.A alliance, led by the Congress, has been much more equivocal. It is still hoping for electoral gains and votes from India’s very large Muslim population, which they believe, probably erroneously, supports Hamas. Hamas’s attack on Israel, especially its barbarism and brutality, is only one part of the story. The world itself, the Middle East included, has moved away from religious extremism and violence. Indian Muslims, too, however much they might support the Palestinian cause — and here one seriously doubts whether the common populace really knows or cares enough — want to have nothing to do with Hamas. [To be concluded] The writer is an author, columnist, and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.