PSIR Simplified

India’s policy response to Palestine issue has been motivated by two set of factors:

First, India’s larger interests in the Middle East like her dependence on Arab world for her oil supply, remittances from the Indian working in the Middle East, and new prospects for trade investments and connectivity.

Second set of factors include the changing global as well as regional strategic conditions affecting India’s response to this issue. These factors are end of cold war, increasing pace of globalization, Shia-Sunni conflict among regional powers of Middle East (difference between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arab), rapprochement between Arab countries and Israel.

These two sets of factors are well reflected in India’s shifting policy response with respect to Palestine problem as well as larger Middle East region. This shifting policy response of India can be explained in two phases- policy response during cold war and post-cold war shift in the policy.

1. India Policy towards During Cold War

During cold war era (1945-1991), India fully supported the cause of Palestine as it was in accordance to India core interests in the Middle East as well as the ideological orientation of India’s foreign policy in this period. India became independent in 1947 after a long fight against the British colonial rule. It pursued the policy of Non-alignment in foreign affairs, which later led to Non-alignment with the support of like-minded nations like Egypt, Yugoslavia, Indonesia and many African countries. Thus, opposition to colonialism and emphasis on right to self-determination of nations became a new ideological plank of India’s policy. Also, Egypt was not only the leader of Arab world but also the supporter of Palestine cause. The countries of Arb world were united in staunch support to the Palestine issue. Accordingly, India’s foreign policy position with respect to Palestine issue was articulated under the following points:

1. India strongly supported the right of Palestinians for a separate state in the region, where they were living. India did not support the UN General Assembly Resolution (181 of 1947) which facilitated the creation of Israel and by partition of Palestine land. The Plan was proposed by the UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP-1947) and was accepted by the UN General Assembly. Thus, from the very beginning India supported the cause of Palestine and opposed the state of Israel.
2. India persistently raised the issue of establishment of separate state of Palestine in the NAM meetings. Almost every NAM summit contained a resolution to this effect. The NAM Ministerial Committee on Palestine was established under India’s Presidency during the VII NAM Summit in New Delhi in 1983. As a member of the Security Council, India continued to voice its support for a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, within secure and recognized borders, at peace beside Israel as endorsed in the relevant UNSC and UNGA Resolutions.
3. Though India recognized the state of Israel in 1950, but stopped at that. India did not establish full diplomatic relations with Israel during this period in support of Palestine cause. The commercial and cultural relations with Israel were conducted through Israeli consulate in Mumbai.
4. In all conflicts between Israel and Arabs in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, India supported the side of Arabs and Palestinians.
5. India extended full diplomatic support to the PLO, which was the sole representative of Palestinians and fighting for their separate homeland under the leadership of Yasser Arafat. 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. In 1988, India became one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian State. In 1996, India opened its Representative Office in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003. A PLO office was established in New Delhi in 1975, and full diplomatic relations were established in March 1980. 

In brief, during the cold war era, India’s support to Palestine cause and Arab countries was unqualified at bilateral level as well as multilateral level in various global and reginal forums. The NAM led by India pursued the cause of Palestine with urgency and determination. At the same time, India kept away from establishing full diplomatic ties with Israel. India did not support the denial of right of statehood to Palestinians by Israel supported by the Western powers of north America and Europe. The strategic condition prevailing during the cold war also supported India’s above stand on Palestine.

• Post -Cold War Shift in India’s Policy: From Ideological Commitment to Strategic Pragmatism

The end of cold war in 1991 with the disintegration of Soviet Union, rise of globalization with the support of neoliberalism and emergence of the US as the sole superpower brought huge shift in the global strategic environment. It affected the foreign policy all countries including that of India. India also changed her domestic policy for the close integration with the ongoing globalization. The ideological orientation of cold war era gradually gave way for greater pragmatism and realistic pursuance of India’s core interests. India developed close strategic partnership with the US, while at the same time maintaining balanced ties with other nations. Rising India’s national interest also diversified and new policy initiatives were taken to engage with hitherto neglected regions like South East Asia, Central Asia and West Asia or Middle East.

Meanwhile, regional strategic conditions in the Middle East also displayed new shifts. While during cold war era all Arab countries were united against Israel in support of Palestine, the Camp David Accord of 1979 between Egypt and Israel mediated by the US fractured the Arab unity. Since then the unified Arab support to the cause of Palestine has been gradually diluting over the years. This process still continues. The US under Trump Administration in 2020 launched Abraham Accords for establishing diplomatic ties between Arab Countries and Israel. Four Arab Countries (UAE, Sudan, Bahrain and Morocco) for different reasons have signed Abraham Accords and have established normal relations with Israel. A related important factor diluting the support for Palestinians was the Shia-Sunni rift in the Middle East. The Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia are competing for the leadership of the region. Since Shias are in minority in the region, Iran has cultivated Shai groups or other groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in Gaza to strengthen her position in the region. Iran rising influence in the region is not appreciated by Sunni Arab states led by Saudi Arabia. Though China has stepped in 2023 to bring rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it has not succeeded well. Thus, what we witness now is the fragmented Arab world with deep strategic footprints of major powers like the US, Russia, China and others.

It was in the background of the above shifting strategic landscape in the Middle East that India rearticulated her policy response to both the Palestine and larger region of the Middle East. The main points of this pragmatic shift in India’s foreign policy towards Palestine can be understood under the following points:

1. India has established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992. Both countries have strengthened their strategic ties in last three decades in the fields of defence, agriculture and irrigation. Now, ties between India and Israel have reached an irreversible condition. India was quick to criticise Hamas Attack against Israel on 7 October, 2023. In 2024, India has supplied non-combat man power to Israel.
2. India has initiated a broad framework known as ‘Think West’ policy which aims to develop close strategic and economic ties with the major players of the region-Saudi Arab, Iran, UAE, Israel Egypt and others. Under this policy, India has developed strong partnership with UAE, Israel, Iran and Saudi Arab in the field of trade and investment as well as connectivity and other areas. In 2016, India and Iran have signed the Chabahar Port Agreement, which will give India access to Central Asia and Afghanistan.  India, US, UAE and Israel have established a multilateral forum in 2021 known as I2 U2 to support infrastructure development in the region. India, with regional partners has announced the launch of IMEEC (India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor) in 2023 during the G-20 Summit in 2023. This Corridor will pass through UAE, Saudi Arab and Israel to reach Europe. Thus, Think West policy dictates the balance and pragmatic approach in the region in all issues including Palestine Issue.
3. However, India’s pragmatic approach does not mean leaving the cause of a separate state of Palestine. India still supports the separate state of Palestine in the framework of two-state solution of Palestine problem. Even in the post-cold war era, India has always played a proactive role in garnering support for the Palestinian cause in multilateral fora. India has consistently supported, cosponsored, and voted in favour of UN General Assembly Resolutions securing the right to self-determination of Palestinians (Res.74/139, 2020), and its status as a non-member State at the UN (Res.67/19, 2012). In 2011, India also voted in favour of Palestine becoming a full member of UNESCO. India has started the first ever Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) with Palestine in May 2015. The second and third round of FOCs was held in April 2017 and September 2020 respectively (MEA:2023).  PM Modi became the first Indian PM to visit West bank in February 2018.

While replying to a question on India’s stand on Palestine issue in Rajya Sabha on 5 February, 2024, the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar submitted that ‘India’s policy towards Palestine has been long standing and we have always supported a negotiated two State solution, towards establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within secure and recognized borders, living side by side in peace with Israel. India has strongly condemned the terror attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and also the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict’. He further submitted that India remain concerned at the security situation and have called for a ceasefire, release of all hostages and peaceful resolution of conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. India emphasized the need for safe, timely and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine. Since the beginning of Israel- Hamas conflict, 13 resolutions concerning Palestine were brought in UNGA out of which India voted in favour in 10 resolutions and abstained on 3 resolutions. India released $ 5 million last year and we have disbursed another $ 5 million this year to UNRWA (UN Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) Recently, India also sent 65 tonnes of medicines to UNRWA and Palestine Ministry of Health in October and November 2024. During the anniversary of the Arab League’s formation, Ambassador supported the Indian position in statement issued on 22 March, 2024.He remarked that India has displayed “steadfast dedication” to the cause of Palestine by extending humanitarian assistance and by supporting a “two-state solution” to the Israel-Palestine crisis.

In brief, while India has adopted a policy of strategic pragmatism towards Palestine issue in the post-cold conditions under the broad framework of ‘Think West’, India still continues to support the cause of a separate state of Palestine within the much discussed two-state solution of this problem.