PM Modi Reaffirms India’s Support for Palestine in Meeting with Mahmoud Abbas

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• India – Palestine Relation
• Important Bilateral Visits and Political Interactions
• Developmental Cooperation
• PM Modi meets Palestinian PM Abbas in New York

Why in News?

PM Modi met the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, on the sidelines of the Summit of the Future in New York.

The meeting occurred shortly after India abstained from voting on a UNGA resolution demanding that Israel end its "unlawful presence" in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

India – Palestine Relation

Background:

• Evolution of relationship
  • India’s support for the Palestinian cause is an integral part of the nation’s foreign policy.
  • 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.
• Support at multilateral fora
  • India has always played a proactive role in garnering support for the Palestinian cause in multilateral fora.
  • India has consistently supported, co-sponsored, and voted in favour of UN General Assembly Resolutions:
• securing the right to self-determination of Palestinians,
• urging Israel’s compliance with legal obligations, and
• its status as a non-member State at the UN.
  • In 2011, India also voted in favour of Palestine becoming a full member of UNESCO.
• United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
  • India supports Palestine and Palestinian refugees through its contributions to UNRWA.
  • India is a member of its Advisory Commission since 2020. Since 2002, India has contributed a total of US$ 36.5 million to UNRWA till 2022-23.
• IBSA Cooperation
  • India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) Fund has also funded four projects in Palestine worth US$ 5 mn approximately.

Important Bilateral Visits and Political Interactions

• PM Modi paid a historic visit to Palestine in February 2018, the first for an Indian Prime Minister.

Developmental Cooperation

• India has provided various forms of developmental cooperation assistance to Palestine over the years. amounting to approximately US$ 141 million.
• India has also provided a total of US$ 39 million of budgetary support to the Palestinian Authority.
• In July 2021, India offered a Line of Credit worth USD 50 Million to Palestine for implementing developmental and sustainable projects.
• The major development assistance projects executed successfully by India include:
  • Palestine-India Techno-Park
  • Construction of Jawaharlal Nehru Library at the Al Azhar University in Gaza city
  • The Mahatma Gandhi Library-cum-Student Activity Centre at the Palestine Technical College at Deir Al Balah in the Gaza Strip, etc.
• Currently, eight developmental projects are in progress, the details of some of which are as follows:
  • Palestinian Institute of Higher Diplomacy in Ramallah;
  • National Printing Press at Ramallah;
  • Construction of Super-specialty hospital in Ramallah;
  • Turathi - Women Empowerment Centres at Ramallah and Gaza; etc.
• Quick Impact Projects (QIPs)
  • In 2021-22 India implemented four Quick Impact Projects:
    • Rehabilitation of Yasser Arafat Square in Ramallah City,
    • Integration of Technology into Education with the Young Scientists Club (Al Muntada),
    • Establishing Beitunia Municipality Nursery, and
    • Construction of Aqraba Children Park.

PM Modi meets Palestinian PM Abbas in New York

• About the news
  • During the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York, Prime Minister Modi met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
  • The meeting occurred shortly after India abstained from voting on a UNGA resolution demanding that Israel end its "unlawful presence" in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  • The UNGA adopted a resolution calling for Israel to end its occupation within 12 months.
  • India, along with countries like Australia, the UK, Germany, and Canada, abstained from voting on the resolution.
    • During the meeting, PM Modi express concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
    • He reiterated India's support for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region and emphasized strengthening the long-standing friendship between India and Palestine.
  • India’s Balancing Approach on the Israel-Palestine Conflict
    • PM Modi's meeting with Abbas follows a phone call from October 2023, where he expressed condolences for civilian casualties in Gaza and reaffirmed India's position on the Israel-Palestine issue.
  • In October 2023, in his first phone conversation with Palestinian President Abbas since the Hamas attack on Israel, PM Modi had reiterated India’s long-standing principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue.
  • Later, India sent humanitarian aid for the beleaguered residents of Gaza via Egypt.
    • India has consistently sought to balance its stance on the conflict, with PM Modi also expressing solidarity with Israel after the October 7 Hamas attacks, which he labeled as terror attacks.
    • For Delhi, the diplomatic challenge was to balance between the many sides in West Asia where India has deep strategic ties with Israel on the one hand, and Saudi, UAE, Qatar, Iran and Egypt – to name a few – on the other hand.

Q.1. What did PM Modi emphasize during his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas?

PM Modi expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reiterated India’s support for peace and stability in the region while strengthening India-Palestine ties.

Q.2. What is India’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict?

India maintains a balanced approach, supporting a two-state solution while abstaining from a UNGA resolution against Israel and offering humanitarian aid to Gaza amidst the conflict.

Source: Days after India abstained on UNGA resolution against Israel, PM Modi meets Abbas | MEA | Representative Office of India in Ramallah | The Hindu