For decades, New Delhi supported the Palestinian cause. Then it started to shift towards Israel with the rise of Hindu nationalist BJP.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is vying for a third term in office, has openly embraced engagement with Israel, especially since his landmark visit to Israel in 2017. / Photo: AP
Azad Essa, author of “Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel”, believes that India’s closeness to Israel is deeply connected with the anti-Muslim sentiment entrenched in Modi’s politics and his supporters. Despite recognising Israel in 1950, India leaned towards its Arab allies during the Cold War. It supported Egypt during the Suez Crisis in 1956 and recognised the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1974. The PLO was even allowed to open an office in New Delhi in 1975.Yasser Arafat, the then chairman of the PLO, visited India multiple times and developed a close bond with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Modi, who is vying for a third term in office, has openly embraced engagement with Israel, especially since his landmark visit to Israel in 2017. "There is no departure from historical support for Palestine. Any comparisons between Zionism and Hindutva are baseless and politically motivated,” said Shazia Ilmi, BJP’s spokesperson.India and Israel have a strong trade link, especially in the arms sector. Over the past decade, India has purchased military equipment from Israel worth $2.9 billion. This includes items such as radars, surveillance and combat drones, and missiles.
Mir Suneem Gul, a student at Jamia Millia Islamia University, was detained during a pro-Palestine protest.
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