New Delhi: Even as the United Nations Security Council will convene for an emergency meeting over the visit of an Israeli minister to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, India on Thursday did not comment on the action, but only preferred to reiterate the position on the Palestinian dispute.
Following a request by UAE, China, France and Malta, the UNSC will have an open briefing on Thursday afternoon in New York on the recent developments at one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites, known as Haram al-Sharif to Muslims, and Temple Mount site to Jews.
On January 3, Israel’s new national security advisor and leader of the extreme-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the mosque compound. As per the agreement reached after the 1967 war, only Muslims are allowed to pray at the site. However, a rising number of Jewish visitors, especially Israeli settlers, have been praying at the site in violation of the rules.
At the weekly briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi did not reply directly to a question about the Israeli minister’s visit.
“Look, let me emphasise our larger point on the Palestine question. Our position on the Palestine question has been clear and consistent. We are committed to supporting all efforts to resume direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians to achieve a two-state solution,” he said.
Bagchi noted that the Indian government has underlined that only a negotiated two-state solution that leads to a “sovereign, independent and viable” Palestine while considering Israel’s “legitimate security concerns can deliver lasting peace”.
“We have reiterated our position. Beyond that, I have nothing to say in the context of the question that you have asked,” added the MEA spokesperson.
Last week, India abstained on a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly that asked the International Court of Justice for its opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s “prolonged occupation” and annexation of the Palestinian territory. It was approved with 87 votes in favour, 26 against and 56 abstentions. India has grown substantially closer to Israel in recent years, which has modified its position in UN bodies from voting in favour to largely abstaining on resolutions criticising Israel.
Also read: Does Modi’s India Care About Palestine Any More?
Meanwhile, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar spoke with his newly appointed Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen to offer congratulations on his assumption of office, according to an Israeli foreign ministry press release. Jaishankar tweeted that he valued Cohen’s “many insights, including on economy and security”.
Great to talk to the new foreign minister of Israel @elicoh1 .
Look forward to partnering him in taking our cooperation forward. Value his many insights, including on economy and security.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 5, 2023
After the visit of Ben-Gvir, the US said on Tuesday that “any unilateral actions” that tried to alter the status quo of the holy site were “unacceptable”.
The visit by the Israeli minister, who has a history of calling for a change in the status quo of Temple Mount, led to an outcry around the region, including from countries like the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, who have ‘normalised’ ties with Israel. It takes place less than a week after a new government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took over, largely due to the support of far-right parties.
The UAE, which called for the UNSC emergency meeting, had been the first Arab country to sign the Abraham accord with Israel in 2020 that enabled the establishment of full diplomatic relations.
Netanyahu was slated to visit Abu Dhabi for the first time since the signing of the pact. But, Israeli media reported that the visit had been postponed till February amidst strong condemnation from the UAE about the Israeli minister’s visit.
In 2000, when Ariel Sharon, as opposition leader, visited the site, it triggered the second intifada, which lasted for over four years.
The Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said that Ben-Gvir’s visit was a “violation of all norms, values, international agreements and laws, and Israel’s pledges to the American president”. The Palestinian foreign ministry described it as an “unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict”.