New Delhi: India on Monday said it had “de-hyphenated” its relationship with Palestine and Israel, with senior officials of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) saying that ties with both are “exclusive and independent”.
As announced earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ramallah in Palestine on February 10 where India is expected to ink at least five MoUs with Palestine in various sectors. New Delhi is extending assistance to the Palestinians in their “nation-building”, the MEA said. PM Modi will visit the “Yaseer Arafat Museum” there where he will pay tributes to the late Palestinian leader. India will also discuss the issue of counter-terrorism with the Palestinians, with the MEA pointing out that Palestine had always opposed terrorism and has vast information of how to deal with the menace including crucial aspects such as how terror networks operate. PM Modi will also attend a banquet lunch hosted by
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The MEA said the visit of PM Modi to Palestine is an “expression of solidarity” with the Palestinian people. Senior MEA officials pointed out that India had a few weeks ago voted in favour of a UN resolution opposing the decision of the US to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital. New Delhi had also voted in favour recently of Palestine’s accession to Interpol. New Delhi also praised Palestine for “acting promptly” in recalling erstwhile Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan Walid Abu Ali who was sacked as envoy for sharing the stage with terrorist Hafiz Saeed. In December last year, the Palestinian Government had sacked Mr. Ali after a furious India had taken up the matter with it.
The visit to Palestine is being seen as a move to balance ties between rivals Palestine and Israel and comes soon after the visit of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to New Delhi.
