Posted in Editorial Analysis, GS 2, International relations, Mains C A

Israel-Palestine Issue

 October 10, 2023  Leave a comment

Syllabus
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora(GS2)

Source
The Hindu,10/10/2023

Context
Surprise attack of Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, on Israel and subsequent declaration of war by the latter.

Application: where to place?
When asked about
Two State solution
India’s stand on Israel Palestine conflict
Impact of Israel Palestine conflict-global and national level
War Ethics
Peaceful coexistence in West Asia
Indian Engagement in West Asia

Content

History of Israel-Palestine Issue

  • The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to the end of the nineteenth century.
  • After the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I, Britain gained control of Palestine, which was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority.
  • In the 1920s and 1940s, the number of Jewish immigrants to Palestine increased significantly, as many Jews fled persecution in Europe and sought a homeland in the wake of the Holocaust.
  • Britain was given the task of creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine by the international community, which led to increased tensions between Arabs and Jews.
  • Friction between Jews and Arabs, as well as resistance to British rule, intensified.
  • In 1947, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan, which sought to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.
  • The Jewish leadership embraced the plan, but the Arab side rejected it, and it was never implemented.
  • The founding of Israel was proclaimed by the Jewish leaders, with the support of the British authorities and the United Nations, in 1948. Neighboring Arab countries intervened with military force.
  • In 1949, the first Arab-Israeli War ended  with Israel’s victory, but 750,000 Palestinians were displaced, and the territory was divided into 3 parts: the State of Israel, the West Bank (of the Jordan River), and the Gaza Strip.
  • Since then, there have been numerous attempts to negotiate a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, but so far none have been successful.

The Two State Solution

  • The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.
  • The two-state solution was first proposed by the Peel Commission in 1937.
  • However, the proposal has not materialized over the decades despite support from world leaders.
  • The two-state solution is backed in the international community as the most feasible of all solutions.

Recent conflict

  • The recent conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas(the militant group ruling the Gaza Strip) launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel , killing some 700 people.
  • The attack was followed by a massive rocket barrage by Hamas and airstrikes by Israel.
  • Israel formally declared war and approved for “significant military steps”.
  • The toll passed 1,100 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.

Impact on Economy

  • Rise in oil prices, which could have a cascading effect on the global economy.
  • Increase in oil prices could lead to an increase in fuel prices, which could have a direct impact on the Indian economy.
  • High crude oil prices will distort our balance of trade and CAD(Current account deficit) thus putting pressure on the rupee.
  • As the crude oil prices surge, the threat of high inflation grasps the global economy again.
  • When oil prices rise, the cost of production for various industries and energy costs for businesses and households also surge, driving inflation higher.
  • High energy prices and new inflationary trends could undermine the efforts of central banks to bring inflation under control. This can see interest rates at an elevated level for a prolonged period.
  • The rupee depreciation is a distinct possibility which will require RBI action.
  • Also,Decline in investor confidence could lead to a slowdown in economic growth.
  • Thus,this war could impact the Indian capital market, the banking sector, the trade deficit, the current account deficit and also to a limited extent, the fiscal deficit.

India’s stand

  • India was one of the last non-Muslim states to recognise Israel, it became the first non-Arab state to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
  • India’s political attitude towards Israel was set quite firmly shortly after independence in 1947.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi vowed to support the Palestinian cause as they rejected the idea of two nations on the basis of religion. This was in sync with their opposition to the partition of India.
  • In the late 1960s and early 70s, India developed its engagement with the PLO,Palestine Liberation Organisation under Yasser Arafat.
  • Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi continued their support to the Palestinian struggle.
  • The Arab countries adopted a neutral position during the 1962 India-China war and supported Pakistan during the 1965 and 1971 wars.
  • On the other hand, Israel helped India with arms and ammunition in the 1962 and 1965 wars.
  • India established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992.
  • During the Kargil conflict in 1999, Israel shipped weapons to India, which proved to be decisive in the hour of need.
  • India has supported the two-state solution and the establishment of a sovereign, independent, state of Palestine.
  • India has maintained that any lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be based on dialogue and negotiations between both parties.

India-Israel Relations

  • India announced its recognition of Israel on September 17,1950
  • Defence and agriculture formed the two main pillars of our bilateral engagement.
  • India is Israel’s third largest trade partner in Asia and seventh largest globally.
  • In recent years, bilateral trade has diversified into several sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT and telecom, and homeland security.
  • Potash is a major item of Israel’s exports to India, with India buying a significant percentage of its requirement from Israel.
  • India has benefited from Israeli expertise and technologies in horticulture mechanization, protected cultivation, orchard and canopy management, nursery management, micro- irrigation and post-harvest management particularly in Haryana and Maharashtra.
  • Israeli drip irrigation technologies and products are now widely used in India.
  • India imports critical defence technologies from Israel. There are regular exchanges between the armed forces.
  • There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian-origin in Israel (with at least one Indian parent) and about 14,000 Indian citizens in Israel.

India-Palestine Relations

  • In 1974, India became the first Non-Arab State to recognize Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
  •  In 1988, India became one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian State.
  • In 1996, India opened its Representative Office in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003.
  • In 2011, India voted in favour of Palestine becoming a full member of UNESCO.
  • India co-sponsored and voted in favour of the UNGA Resolution on November 29, 2012 that enabled Palestine to become a ‘non-member Observer state’ at the UN without voting rights.
  • There have been regular high level bilateral visits between India and Palestine.
  • Apart from the strong political support to the Palestinian cause at bilateral and international levels, India has extended various forms of economic assistance to the Palestinian people.
  • Trade between India and Palestine is conducted through Israel.
  • Indian exports include marble, granite and other stones, Basmati Rice, raw material for making vaccines, coffee etc.
  • Palestinian exports are mainly virgin olive oil and its fractions, dates, etc.
  • The Government of India supported the construction of Jawaharlal Nehru Library at the Al Azhar University in Gaza city and the Mahatma Gandhi Library-cum-student activity center at the Palestine Technical College in Deir al-Balah, Gaza.
  • Several MoUs have been signed between India and Palestine which provide for scientific, technical and industrial cooperation.

Way Forward 

  • Mediator Role: India has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israel and Palestine.This unique position could potentially allow India to act as a mediator in the conflict, facilitating dialogue and negotiations between the two parties.
  • Humanitarian Aid:  India has extended unwavering support to the Palestinian people and has contributed materially and technically to their cause.India should continue to do such humanitarian assistance.
  • Cultural Exchanges: Cultural exchanges can foster understanding and build bridges between communities.
  • Regional Cooperation: India should enhance its cooperation with West Asian Countries through initiatives like India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC).
  • Educational Assistance: Education is a powerful tool for fostering understanding and peace, and these initiatives can help build a better future for Palestinian students.
  • Panchsheel Principles:Israel and Palestine can follow these five sets of principles for the conduct of international relations that would reflect the aspirations of all nations to co-exist and prosper together in peace and harmony.
  • India has to consistently support peace, stability and development in West Asia.India should support Arab economic integration and Intra-Arab political reconciliation.

Related topics

Oslo Accords

  • Set of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that established a peace process for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a mutually negotiated two-state solution.

Abraham Accords

  • The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and mediated by the United States.

War Ethics

  • War ethics:It is a branch of ethics that deals with the moral principles and values that govern the conduct of war.
  • ‘Just War Theory’: Just War theory considers the reasons for going to war and the conduct of war.It sets out principles for a war to be ethical.
  • According to it,the war must be waged by a legitimate authority (usually interpreted as states), in a just cause, waged with right intention, have a strong probability of success, be a last resort, and be proportional.
  • In addition, there are three principles for conduct in war: discrimination (distinguishing between enemy combatants and non-combatants), proportionality (the harms must be proportional to the gains), actions must be militarily necessary.
  • The recent Israel-Palestine conflict blatantly violates the ‘discrimination’ principle of the Just War Theory as a lot of civilians from both sides were victims.
  • According to the “discrimination” principle of Just War Theory,civilians should not be targeted during war.Unfortunately, in the recent Israel-Palestine conflict, a lot of civilians from both sides were victims, which blatantly violates this principle.

Reference

  • Explained: Israel-Palestine And A History Of Conflict(ndtv,7/10/2023)
  • India-Israel Bilateral Relations(MEA)
  • India-Palestine Relations(MEA)
  • The ethics of warfare(University Of Birmingham)
  • What is Two-State Solution to Israel-Palestine Conflict and Why World Leaders Refer to 1967 Border | EXPLAINED(news18,8/10/2023)
  • How India-Israel ties progressed: from Palestine-leaning to a strategic embrace of the Jewish nation(IE,9/10/2023)
  • Israel-Palestine War: Impact on global economy, India-Israel trade, financial markets(mint,9/10/2023)

Practice Question
What is India’s historical stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict and How has it evolved over time?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *