India’s Palestine Policy 2024

Abstract

After gaining independence in 1947, India pursued a pro-Palestinian policy, becoming the first non-Arab country to recognize the PLO in 1974 and one of the first to recognize the State of Palestine in 1988. From the 1990s onwards, India developed diplomatic relations with Israel, adopting a balancing policy. However, with the rise of the BJP to power in 2014, India established close military and economic ties with Israel. Following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, Prime Minister Modi expressed solidarity with Israel, while the Ministry of External Affairs attempted to maintain a neutral stance. Initially, India abstained from voting on the UN ceasefire resolution but later supported it. During the war, Israel addressed its labor shortage by recruiting workers from India, while anti-Israel protests in India faced suppression. In 2024, at the UN Human Rights Council, India abstained from voting on a resolution calling for an arms embargo on Israel, refraining from taking a stance against it.