India is facing a tricky balance in the developing row between the United Nations and Israel.
In the most recent move, Delhi chose to abstain from signing a UN letter condemning Israel for its recent ban on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country.
The letter said that Israel’s actions “undermine the United Nations’ ability to carry out its mandate, which includes mediating conflicts and providing humanitarian support.”
It was signed by 104 member countries, including a majority of European Union member states.
However, many signatory countries themselves differ in their handling of human rights and are known to be lacking in democratic values.
Building bridges
According to India, the effort of the United Nations should be to “build bridges” between Israel and Palestine. While it has chosen to not comment on this letter so far, last month Delhi abstained from another UN resolution that called on Israel to vacate Palestinian territories on the basis of an opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). India was among 43 countries that had abstained from this resolution.
The current UN letter was circulated by Chile, and supported by Brazil, Colombia, South Africa, Uganda, Indonesia, Spain, Guyana, and Mexico.
Experts say it is particularly significant given it is seen as a defense of the UN Secretary-General and the UN itself, not any of the parties in the conflict.
Most neighboring countries in South Asia, as well as West Asia, South America, and Africa — making up the developing world — signed the letter that was circulated at the UN last week.
The letter is a reaction to Israel accusing Guterres of not criticizing Iranian missile strikes on Israel a day before that “unequivocally”. Israeli Foreign Minister Katz said that Guterres did “not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil” as a consequence.
India’s anti-Israel stance
Meanwhile, India has come out in support of the UN against Israel, over the latest incident of two UN peacekeepers getting wounded in an Israeli strike along the Israel-Lebanon border.
India has voiced serious ‘concern’ regarding this issue, releasing a statement from New Delhi following the Israeli forces’ fire on UN peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon.
In what is increasingly becoming a tug of war and a tricky balance for India, India also joined the troop-contributing countries in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and aligned itself against the Israeli military’s action (that wounded two UN peacekeepers in Lebanon).
The Permanent Mission of India at the UN in New York, in a post on X, said: “As a major Troop Contributing Country, India aligns itself fully with the joint statement issued by the 34 UNIFIL troop-contributing countries. Safety and security of peacekeepers are of paramount importance and must be ensured in accordance with extant UNSC Resolutions.”
This also reflected India’s disquiet over Israel’s actions targeting the UN forces – a different position from its balancing act, and support for Israel’s actions against Hamas and Hezbollah over the last one year.
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), “We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. We continue to monitor the situation closely.”
The 120-km Blue Line is a UN-recognised demarcation line indicating the withdrawal of the Israeli military from southern Lebanon. It separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights, but it is not an official international border.
However, Israel’s envoy to India Reuven Azar responded by saying that Hezbollah was firing at Israel close to UNIFIL posts, using the peacekeepers as a shield. Israel will continue to take measures to safeguard UN forces and coordinate with all responsible stakeholders necessary steps to keep their safety,” Azar said in a post on X.
