On Monday there was no little anger over the National Democratic Alliance government’s decision to reject calls condemning a Parliament resolution on the Gaza violence. But few could have imagined the uproar – this time mainly from supporters of the NDA and its leading constituent, the Bharatiya Janata Party – that resulted once news broke of the country’s stance on the matter at the BRICS summit in Brazil on Tuesday, and then the United Nations on Thursday.
On Thursday, standing alongside 29 fellow member-states, India voted in favor of the UN Human Rights Council resolution for a commission of inquiry into alleged war crimes in Gaza. This has been portrayed by both right and left as a sign of indecision in the government – or at least of different wings of the administration singing different tunes. But in fact there has been no vacillation. India’s line has been remarkably consistent.
India’s stance as it stands
The government has underscored its commitment to an objective stance on the ongoing violence in Gaza, while seeking to maintain friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians. The government line is that India continues to affirm its commitment to international norms and humanitarian law. Now while it might seem like political dithering, reading India’s statements on the issue carefully reveals a great deal of continuity.
First came the firm refusal not to condemn Israel in Parliament. Then, following the BRICS summit in Brazil, the five members issued a statement in which they affirmed their support for a two-state solution. They also voiced criticism of Israeli settlement expansion, which they claimed, “violates international law, gravely undermines peace efforts and threatens the viability of the two-state solution”. Given that these statements are in keeping with past UN resolutions, and mainstream international opinion, they can hardly be called inflammatory.
Cue a day of critics on the right lampooning the government for what they incorrectly characterised as a change of stance. Yet the two decisions did not demand an alteration in the government’s position. It was well within its rights to not push through a Parliamentary resolution condemning Israel just because some political parties felt it would be useful. And it did not require a reversal of position to announce, as it firms alliances with the other BRICS nations, to voice strong criticism of the well-documented expansionary efforts of the settlers.
As the death toll in Gaza continued to mount, with over 700 dead Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 34 dead Israelis – 32 soldiers, 2 civilians – at last count, the UNHCR called for a vote in order to introduce a commission of inquiry. India voted in favour. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay confirmed that the Commission would be tasked with looking at “all violations,” of international law with regard to the ongoing situation in Gaza. The investigation would seek evidence of rights abuses by both Israeli and Palestinian fighters.
Crazed cries
As 29 of the 47 participating countries on the UNHCR council voted in favor of the resolution, with 17 abstaining and only the United States voting against, India’s vote put it comfortably in line with the international consensus. But that was not enough to stop the angered charge by many on the right that they had been betrayed. As the hashtag #indiawithisrael quickly began trending on Twitter, the rest of the world were treated to some choice statements of condemnation of Narendra Modi, the BJP and a government that many of the same people had voted in just over a month ago.
Simultaneously, those on the left were left scratching their heads, unable to situate the government’s line of argument into a narrow prism of ideology, or partisanship. A domestic denouncement of Israel, based on emotion not evidence, is hardly a productive endeavor. Similarly, it would have done India little practical good to isolate itself as one of only two nations voting against the UNHCR resolution. And abstaining would have also been of little use, as the resolution would have still passed, leaving India out of step with the rest of the BRICS member-states, who all voted in favour.
An argument many on the right made was that the growing trade and investment ties between India and Israel meant the former should have unequivocally taken Israel’s side. This is again a rather ridiculous assertion. Should India have voted out of sync with much bigger trade partners? Yes, Israel is India’s second largest military supplier, but by that logic we should vote alongside Russia on every issue, because it is our biggest supplier.
In truth, the great furore excited in India by the conflict in Gaza is representative of the broad divide between left and right in India. Many of the comments on social media on the right had communal overtones, with some even suggesting that Modi had begun pandering to India’s Muslim population.
In the public debate over the issue in India, partisanship has taken the place of pragmatism. This grave humanitarian crisis needs better.
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
On Thursday, standing alongside 29 fellow member-states, India voted in favor of the UN Human Rights Council resolution for a commission of inquiry into alleged war crimes in Gaza. This has been portrayed by both right and left as a sign of indecision in the government – or at least of different wings of the administration singing different tunes. But in fact there has been no vacillation. India’s line has been remarkably consistent.
India’s stance as it stands
The government has underscored its commitment to an objective stance on the ongoing violence in Gaza, while seeking to maintain friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians. The government line is that India continues to affirm its commitment to international norms and humanitarian law. Now while it might seem like political dithering, reading India’s statements on the issue carefully reveals a great deal of continuity.
First came the firm refusal not to condemn Israel in Parliament. Then, following the BRICS summit in Brazil, the five members issued a statement in which they affirmed their support for a two-state solution. They also voiced criticism of Israeli settlement expansion, which they claimed, “violates international law, gravely undermines peace efforts and threatens the viability of the two-state solution”. Given that these statements are in keeping with past UN resolutions, and mainstream international opinion, they can hardly be called inflammatory.
Cue a day of critics on the right lampooning the government for what they incorrectly characterised as a change of stance. Yet the two decisions did not demand an alteration in the government’s position. It was well within its rights to not push through a Parliamentary resolution condemning Israel just because some political parties felt it would be useful. And it did not require a reversal of position to announce, as it firms alliances with the other BRICS nations, to voice strong criticism of the well-documented expansionary efforts of the settlers.
As the death toll in Gaza continued to mount, with over 700 dead Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 34 dead Israelis – 32 soldiers, 2 civilians – at last count, the UNHCR called for a vote in order to introduce a commission of inquiry. India voted in favour. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay confirmed that the Commission would be tasked with looking at “all violations,” of international law with regard to the ongoing situation in Gaza. The investigation would seek evidence of rights abuses by both Israeli and Palestinian fighters.
Crazed cries
As 29 of the 47 participating countries on the UNHCR council voted in favor of the resolution, with 17 abstaining and only the United States voting against, India’s vote put it comfortably in line with the international consensus. But that was not enough to stop the angered charge by many on the right that they had been betrayed. As the hashtag #indiawithisrael quickly began trending on Twitter, the rest of the world were treated to some choice statements of condemnation of Narendra Modi, the BJP and a government that many of the same people had voted in just over a month ago.
Simultaneously, those on the left were left scratching their heads, unable to situate the government’s line of argument into a narrow prism of ideology, or partisanship. A domestic denouncement of Israel, based on emotion not evidence, is hardly a productive endeavor. Similarly, it would have done India little practical good to isolate itself as one of only two nations voting against the UNHCR resolution. And abstaining would have also been of little use, as the resolution would have still passed, leaving India out of step with the rest of the BRICS member-states, who all voted in favour.
An argument many on the right made was that the growing trade and investment ties between India and Israel meant the former should have unequivocally taken Israel’s side. This is again a rather ridiculous assertion. Should India have voted out of sync with much bigger trade partners? Yes, Israel is India’s second largest military supplier, but by that logic we should vote alongside Russia on every issue, because it is our biggest supplier.
In truth, the great furore excited in India by the conflict in Gaza is representative of the broad divide between left and right in India. Many of the comments on social media on the right had communal overtones, with some even suggesting that Modi had begun pandering to India’s Muslim population.
In the public debate over the issue in India, partisanship has taken the place of pragmatism. This grave humanitarian crisis needs better.
