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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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India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

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India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

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Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

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US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

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US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

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The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

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