India’s pro-Israel tilt

Hasan Suroor

The Americans have spoken; the European Union has spoken; the United Nations has spoken; Britain has spoken; and, of course, most of the Muslim world has spoken. But, intriguingly, India has remained silent (not even a routine statement) over the recent Israeli action at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem that led to some of the worst violence in years. Some sort of uneasy peace has returned but, three weeks later, tensions still remain with Israel seeming determined to ramp up its claim to the compound which houses sites revered both by Muslims and Jews, and has for long been a flashpoint for conflict between the two sides. 

The flare-up was sparked by Israel's heavy-handed security clampdown after two policemen were killed by three Palestinians, who themselves were later killed by Israeli forces in a massive retaliation. Muslim worshippers were effectively locked out of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine. Which, apart from constituting an attack on their centuries-old right to worship there, is another instance of Israel’s brazen expansionist policy with an eye on any final settlement over the status of East Jerusalem. While international criticism of Israeli actions was swift with even its closest ally, Washington, warning against interfering with the status quo — a warning echoed by the European Union — India remained conspicuously silent. This has deeply upset the Palestinians who say they feel let down by an old and trusted friend. India’s “non-reaction” is being interpreted as a consequence of its growing warmth towards Israel  reflected in Narendra Modi's recent bonhomie-filled visit to that country — first ever by an Indian prime minister. 

There’s concern that India's enhanced military and political engagement with Israel could lead to a shift in its traditional support for the Palestinian cause at a time when, more than ever, Palestine needs old friends as it faces an increasingly aggressive Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right administration.  India’s decision to hug Israel is not a new development, but what drives Palestinian fears is the complexion of the current governments in the two countries — both hardline nationalists who see each other as natural allies. This new phase of relationship is profoundly different from previous engagements, and could in the long run interfere with India's relations with Palestine. It is in this context that India's silence on the Al-Aqsa row assumes significance, and the Palestinians need assurances that they would not be dumped. 

The Palestinian Ambassador to India, Adnan Abu Al Haija, took the unusual step of calling a press conference to express his disappointment over New Delhi's stance arguing that Palestine expected a “positive” response in its hour of need. “I did not hear any official response from India on the issue. Many countries reacted including Israel’s closest ally, the USA...We expect India to condemn Israeli violations (of Palestinian rights) in East Jerusalem and other places in occupied Palestine…we expect the Government of India to play a positive role.”

Mr Haija also thought that the government’s stance was at odds with the Indian public opinion which, he said, was overwhelmingly supportive of the Palestinian cause as he had found on his tours across the country.  A claim that should be taken with a spoonful of salt in the current climate of widespread disdain for liberal political causes, especially if associated with the Nehruvian era. Sorry, Mr Ambassador, not many Indians are likely to care if Modi were to tear up the old rule book.

The 37-acre Al-Aqsa Mosque compound was seized by Israel from Jordan in the six-day war of 1967, but its annexation along with the rest of East Jerusalem is not internationally recognised. It’s regarded as occupied Palestinian territory under international law, while Jordan remains the official Muslim custodian of the compound. However, Israel is given to using its security powers to entrench its hold over the Arab East Jerusalem which it eventually wants to merge with the Jewish West Jerusalem — and declare a united Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Israeli parliament is trying to push through a bill seeking to prevent the division of Jerusalem under a possible future two-state solution. The move is seen to be aimed at scuttling a two-state solution altogether. As the Palestinian news agency MNA pointed out, “The proposed legislation would make it significantly harder to reach any potential agreement on a two-state solution, as negotiations have so far proposed the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Meanwhile, the relentless Israeli expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem is radically altering its demography. Israel is trying to change the facts on the ground by forcing a change in the Muslim character of the city so that if there's ever a two-state settlement, the Palestinians will only get a highly truncated East Jerusalem. The systematic “Judaisation” of the Al-Aqsa compound fits a pattern of expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories despite international condemnation. Last year, UNESCO adopted a strongly-worded resolution criticising Israeli activities around the site, pointedly referring to it throughout by its Muslim names: Al-Aqsa and al-Haram al-Sharif. Jews call it Temple Mount. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel’s handling of the recent incident, calling its response disproportionate. While recognising that Israel had legitimate security concerns, it was “important that the status quo at the site be retained”, he was reported as saying.

But Palestinians too need to take a hard look at their own tactics  and avoid playing into Israeli hands. With no coherent political strategy and their leadership in disarray, frustrated youth tend to resort to aimless violence giving Israel a pretext to push its agenda under the cover of protecting national security. Besides, invariably, more Palestinians end up losing their lives without achieving anything.  

As for India's stance, this is not the first time that it has taken an opportunistic neutral position. Previously, it has abstained from voting on critical UN resolutions against Israel. So, its decision to look the other way on this occasion shouldn't be over-interpreted. The important thing is that so far, there has been no overt change in India’s Palestine policy; Mahmoud Abbas was warmly received by Modi in New Delhi only recently and assured of India's continued support. But, it's also true that historically the BJP has been greatly enamoured of Israel while treating the Palestinian issue as a “Muslim” cause. And there are BJP hawks who are only too keen to get rid of this Nehruvian legacy. For the moment, though, it remains a wish. But keep your fingers crossed. 

—  The writer is a London-based commentator