INDIAN FOERIGN POLICY REGARDING ISRAEL VS. HAMAS
Following a significant onslaught by Hamas, Israel has intensified its attacks in the Gaza Strip. On both sides of the fight, there have been several fatalities. India’s support for Israel is emphasized by the Israeli consulate general in Mumbai, while Israel’s ambassador to India emphasized India’s role in world affairs. The diplomatic prudence with which India has approached the Middle East is broken by its backing for Israel.
But as of that point, India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, continued to pursue a pragmatic and impartial foreign policy, especially in its dealings with Israel. India and Israel have been getting along better over the years, mostly because of shared passions for defense, anti-terrorism, agriculture, and technology. It was more important to advance India’s interests when bilateral ties improved rather than necessarily backing Israel in a particular geopolitical situation.
India has long backed the Palestinian cause and called for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would result in two states. India’s long-standing ideals of non-alignment and respect for the right to self-determination have served as the foundation for its diplomatic relations with both Israel and Palestine.
Both Judaism and Hinduism have long histories and religious traditions that may be traced back to their respective homelands. Creating and maintaining Israel as a nation-state may be seen by certain Hindu nationalists as a means of safeguarding Jewish heritage sites and preserving a homeland for the Jewish people. Additionally, particularly in light of territorial and religious tensions, they can draw comparisons to their own worries for the defense and preservation of Hindu religious and cultural legacy.
When Israel and the US attempted to unilaterally proclaim that all of Jerusalem was the capital of Israel in 2017, India voted against them. While New Delhi has a consistent stance on Palestine, its other policy positions are clear: it abhors terrorism but opposes the use of bombs as a form of indiscriminate reprisal. Hamas cannot justify its heinous assaults against Israel by claiming to be redressing historical wrongs. More than a million Gazans have been asked to evacuate, and Israel is still bombarding the territory and preparing for a ground invasion. It would be much harder for Delhi to manage policy because a responsible state cannot behave like an insurgent organization.
The day after Hamas began its invasions, Prime Minister Modi proclaimed his support for Israel and denounced the “terrorist attacks”. “I am horrified to my core by the reports of terrorist strikes in Israel. The unfortunate victim is in our hearts and prayers.
In the early years of its independence, India had friendly relations with the Palestinians. Relations with Israel only truly began to improve after the Cold War. It was a turning moment when Israel provided India with weapons in 1999 during that nation’s brief confrontation with Pakistan. Under Modi, who made history in 2017 by visiting Israel for the first time as the prime minister of India, ties have improved. Since then, trade and armament sales have skyrocketed. Collaboration through technology has also grown, especially in surveillance and agriculture.
Additionally, Israel’s interests are better served by India’s Middle East relations than the Palestinians’ are. Prior to the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war, Saudi Arabia was apparently on the verge of agreeing to normalise relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia is one of India’s primary regional allies, and it has diplomatic links with Israel, as do Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. One of the few Middle Eastern nations having troubled relations with India is Iran, a Hamas backer. This is mostly because New Delhi has reduced commerce with Tehran in accordance with American sanctions.
Developments in India’s Foreign policy (1991-Now)
- Opposing India’s OIC membership: The founding of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 1969, which disregarded the concerns of Indian Muslims by forbidding India from participating, was one of the key causes driving a change in India’s foreign policy stance.
- The Arab countries have not provided India with any support over the Kashmir problem.
- No support for the insurgency over the border: The Arab world has not exerted much pressure on Pakistan to quell the crisis in Kashmir across the border.
- Israel’s assistance: During the Indo-Pak hostilities, Israel helped India even before formal diplomatic relations were established.
- Relationships with the US: As the Soviet Union broke up and the US rose to prominence, India started to ally with the US, which improved our already-improving relations with Israel.
- After decades of non-alignment and a pro-Arab position, India’s foreign policy changed in 1992 when it decided to reestablish full diplomatic ties with Israel.
Author:- Devyani Kunwar a student at NLC, Bharti Vidyapeeth Deemed University
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