Chinmaya Gharekhan explains: India and the Palestinians, over the years

New Delhi October 12 dmanewsdesk: Just as India’s policy towards Israel has evolved over the decades, its position towards the Palestinian struggle has also undergone changes. A veteran Indian diplomat explains the past and present of the India-Palestine relationship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that the “people of India stand in solidarity with Israel in this difficult hour”. Soon after the Hamas assault began on Saturday, Modi had expressed deep shock at “the news of [the] terrorist attacks”. The Palestinians have not figured in any Indian statement so far.

Why was India’s diplomatic policy leaned towards Palestine in the initial years?

India voted against UN Resolution 181 (II) in 1947, which partitioned Mandatory Palestine between Jews and Palestinian Arabs. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru preferred a federal state instead, with Arabs and Jews enjoying the widest possible autonomy, with a special status for Jerusalem.

Source: The Indian Express