India’s growing proximity to Israel has not diluted its support to Palestinian cause
In a fine balancing act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas and assured him of ‘unwavering support’. Abbas’s visit comes ahead of Modi's trip to Israel. By hosting Abbas first and offering India's help in the capacity building of Palestine, Modi has removed doubts on his Government's engagement with Palestine. The Government had been facing flak from opposition parties for its tilt towards Israel. However, shortly after taking over as Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj tried to dispel the myth by saying that there was no change in the Government's policy towards Palestine. Speaking at the the NAM Committee on Palestine in New York in 2014, Swaraj made it clear that the cause of the Palestinian people and India's commitment to it will remain a core feature of its foreign policy. later, when she travelled to Ramallah in January 2016, while inaugurating the India-Palestine Digital learning and Innovation centre at the Al Quds University, she outlined three tenets of India's approach to Palestine — solidarity with Palestinian people, support to Palestinian cause and assistance to Palestine's nation-building and capacity-building efforts. Though previous Governments had constantly engaged with Palestine and supported it on international fora, credit goes to the present Indian leadership for doing more in the relationship. Despite several years of their engagement, India and Palestine held their first ever first ever Foreign Office Consultations in Ramallah in May 2015, and then the Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in November 2016, that was co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar and Riad Malki, the Foreign Minister of Palestine.
India clearly wanted to move forward in empowering Palestine. Hence, the JCM explored possible cooperation in a wide range of sectors that included Information Technology, Security, Youth Affairs and Sports, Education, Health, Agriculture, Tourism and Culture. Akbar and Abbasi had jointly laid the foundation stone for the Palestine-India Techno Park project in Birzeit University, Ramallah. The project worth $12 million would become the single biggest one supported by India in Palestine till date. India is also setting up an Institute of Diplomacy in Palestine for the training of Palestinian diplomats, through a assistance of $4.5 million. India has doubled the number of scholars for Palestinians to undertake higher studies in India; besides, it has increased Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation slots from 80 to 150 and ICCR scholarships from 25 to 50. Additionally, India contributes one million dollars annually to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees in the Near East. Abbas has acknowledged and appreciated the solidarity India extends to its cause and termed India as its “dost” and “ahead of all friendly countries” in helping Palestine. Palestine recognises India's support at international fronts and acknowledges the fact that India is the first non-Arab nation to recognise Palestine. Which is why it wants India, a friend of both Israel and Palestine, to play an important role in the peace-making process between the two warring nations.