India, Israel and Palestine, analysis of relations

INDIA-ISRAEL RELATIONS

  • In 1948, India was the only non-Arab-state among 13 countries that voted against the UN partition plan of Palestine in the General Assembly that led to the creation of Israel.
  • India had given recognition of Israel in 1950 but without full diplomatic ties.
  • PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s reasoning for the decision to recognise Israel was that it was “an established fact”, and that not doing so would create rancour between two UN members.
  • The opening of an Indian embassy in Tel Aviv in January 1992 marked an end to four decades of giving Israel the cold shoulder. 
  • For two-and-a-half decades from 1992, the India-Israel relationship continued to grow, mostly through defence deals, and in sectors such as science and technology and agriculture.
  • In 2000, L K Advani became the first Indian minister to visit Israel.
  • It was during NDA-2 that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to take full ownership of the relationship with Israel. 
  • In 2016, India abstained again at on a UNHRC resolution against Israel. 
  • In February 2018, Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. 
  • However, Israel does not seem to be happy with India's current position.
  • Netanyahu tweeted his thanks to all countries that “resolutely” stood by Israel and “its right to self defense against terrorist attacks”, by posting all their flags. 
  • This included 25 nations' flags and the Tricolour was not among them.
INDIA-PALESTINE
  • New Delhi remained firmly on the side of the PLO, which was seen as ready for a political solution, and had accepted the two-state solution.
  • In the 1967 and 1973 wars, India lashed out at Israel as the aggressor.
  • In 1975, India became the first non-Arab country to recognise the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, and invited it to open an office in Delhi, which was accorded diplomatic status five years later. 
  • In 1988, when the PLO declared an independent state of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem, India granted recognition immediately. 
  • It voted for Palestine to become a full member of UNESCO in 2011, and a year later, co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution that enabled Palestine to become a “non-member” observer state at the UN without voting rights. 
  • India also supported the installation of the Palestinian flag on the UN premises in September 2015. 

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