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India struck a balancing act between Israel and Palestine at the UN

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India struck a balancing act between Israel and Palestine at the UN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement read out at the UN signals that India has not totally abandoned the aspirations of the people of Palestine

~By Seema Guha

India’s reiteration of its support for the creation of an independent state of Palestine to exist side by side with Israel, would have come as a surprise to those who believed that Delhi has shifted its historical support for their cause.

India made its position clear in a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, read out on his behalf at the United Nations, ahead of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. “We hope for early realisation of a sovereign, independent, united and viable Palestine, co-existing peacefully with Israel,” Modi’s statement said.

Successive Indian governments had supported the 1947 UN Resolution which supports a two-state solution for the long standing Israel-Palestine dispute.

There is fresh global movement on getting the dialogue started between the two sides. US President Donald Trump is keen on resolving the issue during his term in office. Apart from US officials he has directed his Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner and now an adviser to the President to try and break the deadlock. Behind the scene diplomacy is said to be on. This is why Modi’s statement includes the lines: “India hopes for early resumption of dialogue between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides to move towards finding a comprehensive negotiated resolution.”

Modi also mentioned Delhi’s involvement in development activities in Palestine: “India is an active development partner of Palestine, engaged in extending technical and financial assistance to improve the lives of the Palestinian people. We will continue to support the development and nation-building efforts of Palestine.”

The statement will have made the Palestinian leadership as well as the people happy. This is because in the last two decades India was perceived to be lukewarm to the Palestinian cause. Even the Congress party, which had been an ardent supporter of Palestinian rights during Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi’s term, was less vocal about its support.

The BJP, even when not in power had been an ardent advocate of Israel. But full diplomatic ties with Israel were carried out done under the Congress government of PV Narasimha Rao in 1992. Since then there have been no looking back. Relations with Israel had thrived both during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh era.

Narendra Modi was the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel earlier this year. He was given a red carpet welcome by Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu. For the first time, Delhi which had previously balanced all previous visits to Israel by dignitaries with a simultaneous trip to Ramallah – the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority, had a stand-alone visit to Tel Aviv.

However, despite the BJP’s strong stand on Israel, Narendra Modi took care not to turn his back to Palestine. President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, was in India on a four day visit before Modi’s trip to Israel in July.

India’s balancing act with both Israel and Palestine is continuing, despite the BJP’s government’s admiration for Israel and desire to forge long lasting understanding with Tel Aviv.

Modi like PV Narasimha Rao before him is a pragmatic politician, who will not allow ideological considerations to come in the way of his diplomacy.

The BJP has always had a special affinity to Israel, because of its strong militarist approach to Palestine. Many in the RSS admire Israel’s anti-Muslim stand, considering that most Palestinians follow Islam. The RSS is known to be against Muslims.

Yet Modi has gone out of his way to befriend the Gulf nations. He has visited UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and built relations with the ruling families of each of these countries.  He is well aware that over seven million Indians live and work out of the region and send back remittances varying from $35 to $40 billion each year.

Modi’s statement read out at the UN signals that India’s support for Palestine may not be as strong as it was during the past, but it has not totally abandoned the aspirations of the people of Palestine.

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US reiterates its call for fair, transparent, legal process for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, speaks on Congress frozen accounts

The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.

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A day after India summoned an US diplomat over their remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, the US reiterated its call for fair, transparent, timely legal processes on Wednesday.

Responding to questions on India summoning Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they will continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Notably, the meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office lasted nearly 40 minutes yesterday with India objecting strongly to the US remarks on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

Matthew Miller also responded to a question on the Congress party’s frozen bank accounts. The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. He added that the US encourages fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of the issues.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last week by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy scam. Earlier, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh were arrested in the same case.

The External Affairs Ministry had earlier stated that states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies, adding that it could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.

The Ministry further emphasized that India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. It mentioned that casting aspersions on India’s legal procedure is unwarranted.

The United State’s remarks followed days after Germany’s Foreign Office stressed that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The Indian government labelled their remark as blatant interference in internal matters.

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5 Chinese nationals killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan

This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

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Nearly five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion during an attack on their convoy by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. Reportedly, the suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said that five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. As yet, none has claimed responsibility for the attack. Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir asserted that the incident was a suicide blast and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence.

The Station House Officer further added that security arrangements were tightened at the spot and the bodies were being shifted to a hospital. He added that they will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened. Notably, this is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

Previously, two attacks hit an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Several Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for multiple years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.

Notably, Dasu is home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks. Earlier in 2021, the attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident occured when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.

There was confusion surrounding the nature of the attack initially, with some reports suggesting it was a bus accident. Nonetheless, subsequent investigations revealed that it was indeed a terrorist attack. The bus was hit by a blast, leading it to plunge into a ravine.

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US bridge collapses after being hit by ship

The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

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Major portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US collapsed on early Tuesday morning after it was hit by a large container ship. The incident occurred at nearly 1.30 am (US local time). The Baltimore City Fire department said the collapse is a mass casualty incident.

According to reports many vehicles fell into the river below. The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

It seems the vessel had hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in many places and plunge into the water. The ship caught fire and appeared to sink. Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, the registered owner of the ship, and the manager, Synergy Marine Group, said it is a Singapore flagged ship Dali which collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.

He said the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined; the Dali has now mobilized its qualified individual Incident response service. It added that all crew members, including the 2 pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries.

The local traffic police said all lanes on both directions of the bridge have been closed and the traffic is being de-toured. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also declared a state of emergency after the collapse of the bridge. The bridge was opened in 1977, spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. It is named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner.  

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