India and the Israel-Palestine conflict | #177
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Dear Friends,
This week we saw horrific images from Israel and Palestine. The conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the longest and most complex in the world. It has roots in the early 20th century, when the Zionist movement began to advocate for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. India has historically been supportive of the Palestinian cause. In 1947, India voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which created the state of Israel. India recognized Israel in 1950, but it did not establish full diplomatic relations with the country until 1992.
The recent violence in Israel and Palestine is a stark reminder of the fragility of the peace process between the warring entities. This week’s newsletter, we try to take a look at India’s relations with both the countries.
Things we learnt this week 🤓
India formally established diplomatic relations with Israel only in 1992. But there has always been back-channel communications between the 2 countries. In 1962, during the height of the India-China conflict, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion expressed full sympathy to Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Communication cables between the two leaders from October to November 1962, accessed from the Israeli archives, reveal this support. The initial contact was made by Nehru on October 27, and the Israeli leader reciprocated the sentiment on November 2, 1962, emphasizing the preservation of peace and state sovereignty. In 1968, it was revealed that India sourced Israeli weapons during the war with China but initially wanted them delivered without the Israeli flag to avoid upsetting its Arab allies. Ben Gurion had put his foot down saying, “No flag. No weapons.” The flag is mightier than the weapon.
A man clad in a leather jacket, pursues a woman donning a long skirt. They engage in a dance and serenade around a phallic looking object adorned with jasmine blossoms, while images of the Hindu deities Hanuman and Durga observe from the backdrop. “I crave a sense of security and protection,” she melodiously expresses, locking eyes with him. “Trust me to stand by you, live up to your hopes, guard you, and back you up; I'll honor my commitments,” he responds fervently. Considering the palpable chemistry between them, it wouldn't be wrong for viewers to anticipate a romantic climax. But surprise, surprise, the message is - make war not love. This was an ad by the Israeli company Rafael trying to woo India and help protect her. The ad seems to have done its job with the Indian government signing a large contract with them.
India has historically been on the side of Palestine and didn’t even have a formal diplomatic relationship with Israel till 1992. But since then, India has seen Israel as a strong trading partner. Nothing exemplifies this ‘have the cake and eat it too’ mentality of India than Narendra Modi visiting Israel in 2017, followed by Palestine in 2018 making him the only Indian PM to have visited both nations. Diplomatic duality at its best!
From IWTK, with love 💌
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Stay safe,
❤️ IWTK