JOIN USThe government has done well to call for an “immediate de-escalation” of the hostilities between Israel and Palestine. Violence has surged over the past week, with Israel stepping up artillery fire and aerial strikes on Gaza and Hamas launching rocket attacks into Israel. Casualties are mounting by the day and the number of civilian fatalities is alarming. Speaking at the first public UNSC meeting to be held since the situation began deteriorating a week ago, India’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, T S Tirumurti, called on both sides “to show extreme restraint, desist from actions that exacerbate tensions, and refrain from attempts to unilaterally change the existing status-quo, including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhood.”
On the face of it, India seems to have taken an even-handed position on the escalating crisis, especially since it has called on “both sides” to back down from taking actions that would escalate tensions. However, a closer reading of the text of its statement reveals that New Delhi has gone soft on Israel’s actions. While the statement explicitly condemns the “indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza”, it does not similarly censure Israel for its aerial strikes. Rather, it justifies the Israeli violence by describing them as “retaliatory strikes.” The firing of rockets and aerial strikes by Hamas and Israel must not be viewed in isolation. It should be understood in the context of the larger violence that Israeli forces have been perpetrating on Palestinians during the Ramzan month, whether at the Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount complex or through the threatened eviction of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. New Delhi has sought to balance off its softening on Israel by reiterating “strong support” to the “just Palestinian cause” and its “unwavering” commitment to the two-state solution, while not making clear its view of the borders of the two states envisaged.
The escalating crisis in West Asia has prompted many in India, especially several BJP parliamentarians, to express solidarity with Israel. Of course, it is their Islamophobia that drives their perception and position, rather than any in-depth understanding of the conflict. The government needs to shut down these irresponsible voices as they will not enable India to play a useful role in global affairs. As a member of the UNSC, albeit a non-permanent one, India has a vital role to play. Rather than justify the violence of either side, it must nudge the two sides towards halting the violence. It should press for an immediate ceasefire and work with other powers to jumpstart the comatose dialogue process.