Palestinian Ambassador in India Adli Shaban Hassan Sadeq confessed that his Government was relieved to note that the Indian foreign policy has not changed with the change of Government in New Delhi. The Ambassador conceded that there were apprehensions about the foreign policy of the new NDA Government in India given the fact that many of its top leaders were friends with Israeli leadership.
But Palestine was relieved when India voted in its favour during the UNHRC meeting in Geneva this month, even though the NDA Government shied away from passing a resolution in its Parliament condemning Israel for the attacks in Gaza Strip. India also made its position clear in BRICS where Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a joint statement condemning violence against Palestinian civil population.
“The new Government has started on a positive policy towards Palestine by voting for us in Geneva. We look forward to a positive response from India regarding crimes against Palestinians,” Sadeq said.
Palestine’s initial concerns rose from the fact that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was a “friend of Israel” and she had visited the country a few times before she became a minister. Swaraj, however, as the External Affairs Minister has made it clear at several forums that there has been no change in Indian foreign policy with regard to Palestine and that while India fully supports the cause of Palestinians, it also remains friends with Israel.