The article published in the editorial section of The Hindu Newspaper talks about how India’s foreign policy has changed over the years concerning Israel and Palestine. Earlier India was pro-Palestine but now in the recent times, it seems that India is pro-Israel.
India’s position on Palestine has changed a lot over the years. In the past, India strongly supported Palestine. This was because India was against colonialism (where powerful countries controlled weaker nations) since it had experienced being ruled by the British. India believed in freedom and justice, and supporting Palestine fit with these values.
But in the last decade, things have shifted. India now has a closer relationship with Israel. There are several reasons for this change. One big reason is the rise of Hindutva, which focuses on promoting Hindu identity. The current government, led by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sees Israel as a friend, mainly because both countries are concerned about terrorism, especially from Islamic groups. This connection has led to India becoming less focused on Palestine.
Today, many people in India view the Palestinian cause as something related to the Muslim community. Protests supporting Palestine are often seen as threats to the country, and those who publicly support Palestine, like some politicians and students, face criticism or even get arrested. This is because the government and some media portray pro-Palestinian actions as dangerous.
In 2017, Prime Minister Modi made a significant gesture by visiting Israel and paying tribute to Theodore Herzl, the founder of Zionism (the movement that created the state of Israel). This showed that India’s connection with Israel is not just about politics but also about shared beliefs.
India’s foreign policy has also changed to focus more on practical benefits, which is called transactional diplomacy. Instead of supporting causes because they are morally right, India now prioritizes what will help it the most. For example, India and Israel have strong economic ties, with trade between the two countries reaching over $10 billion recently. They also work together in important areas like defence, agriculture, and technology. India now treats its relationships with Israel and Palestine separately, focusing on what it can gain from Israel.
Another reason for India’s shift is its desire to become a global power. To achieve this, India wants good relationships with powerful countries like the U.S., which is a close ally of Israel. India’s foreign policy is now more focused on building these strong ties and securing things like energy, investments, and economic opportunities. This has led to less attention being given to earlier ideals like non-alignment, where India didn’t take sides in global conflicts.
While India still officially supports a two-state solution (where Israel and Palestine would both have their own states and live peacefully), in practice, India is more focused on building its relationship with Israel. This reflects India’s shift from being driven by values like anti-colonialism and fairness to being more concerned with its own interests, like economic growth and global influence.
In summary, India’s position on Palestine has changed. It used to strongly support Palestine based on moral values, but now it has shifted towards focusing more on Israel, driven by its own strategic and economic needs.
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The Editorial Page of The Hindu is an essential reading for all the students aspiring for UPSC, SSC, PCS, Judiciary etc or any other competitive government exams.
This may also be useful for exams like CUET UG and CUET PG, GATE, GMAT, GRE AND CAT
To read this article in Hindi –https://bhaarat.hellostudent.co.in/