India votes in support of Palestine at UN, shocks Israel and US
United Nations (New York) (The Uttam Hindu): India surprised everyone with its foreign policy during a vote on a key resolution at the United Nations. The occasion was a resolution related to Palestine which called for President Mahmoud Abbas to be allowed to address the UN session via video conferencing. When the resolution was voted on India voted in support—and this became a hot topic. Most notably, when Israel and the United States opposed the resolution India supported Palestine. Given that India is generally considered close to Israel this stance surprised everyone.
India surprised the world again, voted in support of Palestine in the UN, even Israel and America were surprised: Actually , America had refused to give visa to Palestinian leaders due to which they themselves could not attend the General Assembly of the United Nations. After this, a resolution named 'Participation of the State of Palestine' was brought in the 193-member General Assembly of the United Nations. 145 countries voted in support of this, 5 countries were against it and 6 countries did not participate in the voting.
India was among the 145 countries that voted in favor of Palestine. This made it clear that India is striking a balance in its policy—on the one hand, a deep partnership with Israel, and on the other, a voice for Palestinian rights. This entire development has once again proven India's diplomatic acumen to the world. Now questions are being raised: how does India maintain friendship with Israel and advocate for Palestinian rights without harming either relationship?
It should be noted that the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly begins on September 23rd, with President Mahmoud Abbas set to address world leaders virtually on September 25th. India's move also demonstrated that it makes decisions based on the criticality of issues, rather than taking sides. This is why India is seen as a reliable and balanced force on the global stage.