Palestinian PM calls for Indian support:

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

Context:

Indian and Palestinian Prime Ministers held meetings in Glasgow recently on the sidelines of the COP26 summit.

Outcomes of the meet:

• Palestine asked India to play a stabilising role in West Asia by maintaining cooperation with “all related parties”.
• It said, India had a historic tradition of supporting the rights of the Palestinian people and its technical support should be “parallel to the political support”.
• India should support the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.

Why is India’s support significant?

India is serving as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2021-22 and was re-elected to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24.”

Also, in recent years, India has broken the tradition of supporting Palestine at the U.N.

1. In 2019, India voted in favour of Israel at the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) to deny observer status to a Palestinian organisation named Shahed.
2. In June, India abstained during the voting on a resolution calling for investigation into Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip at the Human Rights Council which drew strong protest from Foreign Minister Riyad Al Malki who wrote a letter critical of India’s abstention.

India-Palestine:

India’s support for the Palestinian cause is an integral part of the nation’s foreign policy.

In 1974, India became the first Non-Arab State to recognize Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

• India’s position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by independent views and interests, and not determined by any third country.

Israel- Palestine conflict– Historical Background:

• The conflict has been ongoing for more than 100 years between Jews and Arabs over a piece of land between Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
• It was between 1882 to 1948, when the Jews from around the world gathered in Palestine. This movement came to be known as
• Then in 1917, Ottoman Empirefell after World War 1 and the UK got control over Palestine.
• The land was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority.
• The Balfour Declarationwas issued after Britain gained control with the aim of establishing a home for the Jews in Palestine. However during that period the Arabs were in majority in Palestine.
• Jews favored the idea while the Palestinians rejected it. Almost 6 million Jews lost their lives in the Holocaustwhich also ignited further demand of a separate Jewish state.
• Jews claimed Palestine to be their natural home while the Arabs too did not leave the land and claimed it.
• The international community supported the Jews.
• In 1947, the UN voted for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem becoming an international city.
• That plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by the Arab side and never implemented.

Way ahead:

The trend is clear – India’s decisions are based on a mature understanding and evaluation of the Israel- Palestine issues and New Delhi is following the same approach now as Israel and Palestine exchange rocket fire. India has refused to pick a side and called for de-escalation and dialogue.

Insta Curious:

Do you know where the Gaza Strip is? Why is it a disputed area? Reference: read this.

Do you know about the Oslo Accords? Reference: read this.

InstaLinks:

Prelims link:

1. What is Israel-Palestine issue?
2. Contested boundaries between the two
3. West bank settlement issue
4. Stand taken by UN, Israel, Palestine on this issue
5. Challenges posed by this issue
6. India’s stand.

Mains link:

Discuss about the impact of Israel-Palestine issue on the region and its impact on India’s interests.

Sources: the Hindu.