India-Israel relations: The evolution from Morarji Desai's Janata Dal to Narendra Modi's Bhartiya Janata Party
Israel-Hamas War: On 7 October, when Hamas fighters from Gaza attacked Israel, in a surprise multi-pronged attack, killing at least 1,400 people, Indian's Prime Minister and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi was one of the first to have tweeted solidarity and condolences to Israel. Narendra Modi condemned the “terrorist attacks" and said India “stands in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour".
Twenty days later, India abstained from voting on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution seeking a “humanitarian truce" in Gaza, as Israel pound's Palestine's Gaza killing over 8,500 Palestinians. While Israel considered the abstention as a ‘support’ and unequivocal backing from Indian to Israel, domestically the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)'s decision was not received warmly.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi last week, Israel’s ambassador, Naor Gilon, thanked the country for “100% support". However, the diplomatic and defence ties between India and Israel had for decades remained a rather covert aspect until 2014, when PM Modi and a bare-footed walk on Al Haifa beach in Tel Aviv marked a distinct digression from past foreign policies for India.
India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi had opposed the creation of an Israeli state, fearing it would disfranchise Palestinians, and India voted against it at the UN. India had become the first non-Arab country to give recognition to Palestine as an independent state.
Under the Prime Ministerial leadership of Janata Dal leader Morarji Desai, India saw Palestinian cause and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as an important part of this third world policy orientation. The stamp featured the Palestinian flag and
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