After abstaining in anti-Israel vote, Indian official on Palestine visit

But it is hardly at odds with the general directional change in the outlook of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards Israel – a solicitous turn which appears to go beyond India’s weapons purchase relationship with Tel Aviv.

The FOC is a routine dialogue between the two sides to review bilateral relations and not related to the vote.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Israel, Palestine and Jordan this year, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also to visit Israel this year.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, told IANS: “My understanding of the MEA position is that it is our normal practice to abstain when a resolution invokes the worldwide Criminal Court (ICC), and that in this case too, that was done”. “We oppose the continuous Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Territories, which violate global law and seriously undermine peace efforts and threaten the concept of the two-state solution”, said the declaration.

“We also explored various ways through which Israel could support our key ongoing projects like “Make in India”, “Digital India” and “Ganga Action Plan” where we do see a constructive engagement for technological advancement made here”, Wadhwa stressed.

Alhaijaa, who has been in New Delhi for the last 10 months as Palestine’e envoy, got the news about India’s abstention late on Friday night.

“This is a huge development for India, one of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement, which as a movement always voted against Israel”, he noted.

Twelve other countries had reportedly voted in favour of the resolution, which passed, but India’s abstention then was a first.

India’s constant support for resolutions condemning Israel in favour of Palestinians at United Nations forums has probably been the only irritant in an otherwise ever-strengthening ties between the two countries.

Wadhwa is scheduled to meet senior Palestinian leadership later today and tomorrow to emphasise on India’s steadfast support for the Palestinian cause.

He accused the UNHRC for condemning Israel “for no fault of its own, for acting to defend itself from a murderous terrorist organisation”.

Abbas is said to have also expressed his “deep appreciation” for all the help India has extended to the Palestinian people.

An independent United Nations commission of inquiry on Monday released its report on Operation “Protective Edge”, finding evidence that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes during the war in the Gaza Strip last summer and calling the devastation caused in the Palestinian territory “unprecedented”.

The 50-day Gaza war killed 1,462 civilians, and left 11,231 injured on the Palestinian side.