Palestine wants India to nudge Israel over Al-Aqsa mosque

Palestine wants India to use its friendly ties with Israel to nudge the Jewish nation to stop Judaisation of the historic Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Palestine's ambassador to India, Adnan M A Abualhayjaa, on Wednesday said that since New Delhi had friendly ties with Israel, it could step in to diffuse the tension mounting in Jerusalem ever since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Government set up “additional physical hindrances” at Al Aqsa compound.

“We expect India to condemn violations of rights of Palestinians by Israel in East Jerusalem and other places in occupied Palestine,” Abualhayjaa told journalists in New Delhi. He said that India could play a “greater role” in resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict, particularly the latest “conflagration” which was caused by Israel putting up electronic gates, metal detectors, cameras and barriers to make it “impossible for the Palestinians” to go to the Al Aqsa mosque and offer prayers.

He noted that while the erstwhile regimes in New Delhi also had good relations with Tel Aviv, the current Government of India was particularly friendly to Israel.

His comment came just a few weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel. He was the first Prime Minister of India to visit Israel, although the two countries had established formal diplomatic relations in 1992.

Modi-Netanyahu bonhomie made headlines during the visit. Prime Minister, however, did not visit Palestine, thus departing from a long-standing tradition. Indian dignitaries visiting Israel in the past had made it a point to visit Palestine too. President Pranab Mukherjee had visited both Israel and Palestine in October 2015. External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, too had visited Palestine after touring Israel in January 2016, just as one of her predecessors, S M Krishna, had done in October 2012.

Abualhayjaa, however, told journalists on Wednesday that Palestine was not worried over growing India-Israel relations. “We expect India to continue to have a positive attitude towards Palestine,” he said, noting that Modi had hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New Delhi just before his visit to Israel.

New Delhi steadfastly supported the Palestinian people’s struggle for a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace, with Israel, and with East Jerusalem as its capital. India was the first non-Arab country to recognize Palestine way back in 1988. India’s growing ties with Israel after the Bharatitya Janata Party’s ascent to power in May 2014, however, fuelled speculation about New Delhi reviewing its position on Palestine.

Modi Government made it clear that while India would continue to support the cause of Palestine, it would also seek to build stronger ties with Israel.

“The attempts by Israel's extreme right-wing to mobilize support to change the status quo in the city (Jerusalem) would drag the region into more violence,” said Palestine's envoy to India. “The blatant attempt (by Israel) towards the Judaisation of Al-Aqsa (mosque) will be dealt (by Palestinians) with resistance. The world community in general should keep an eye on their actions, which has the potential to embroil the entire region into a mess”.