India must be careful to ensure that its stand on Palestine is not seen as an extension of the domestic political controversy involving Muslims. In the past, the Israelis have dismissed India’s courtship of West Asia’s Islamic powers as the then ruling Congress Party’s sop to Muslim voters at home. Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reported mockery of Muslims suggests that today’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party can afford not to pander to the Indian Muslim lobby.
India’s $1.1 billion purchase of military aircraft from Israel which the United States had to sanction also highlights the complexities and contradictions of the situation. The agreement now is that Israel will install its Phalcon system – an advanced communications, electronic intelligence, and radar system able to provide simultaneous long-range tracking of multiple air and surface targets -- on three Russian-supplied aircraft for delivery to India within the next two or three years.
Of course, New Delhi fully supported a sovereign Palestine in the recent United Nations General Assembly debate on the subject. Ruchira Kamboj, India’s UN representative, told the media: “In keeping with our long-standing position, we support the membership of Palestine at the UN and, therefore, we have voted in favour of this resolution.” Her endorsement of the view of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, that “the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations”, in accordance with .
