NEW DELHI> India abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution that called for Israel to withdraw from Palestine, specifically from Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, within a year. The resolution was supported by 124 countries, while India, the UK, Canada, Ukraine, and 39 others chose not to vote. Israel and 14 other countries, including the U.S., opposed it.
The resolution was based on findings from the International Criminal Court, which labeled Israel's presence in Palestine as illegal. It urged Israel to follow international law, withdraw its military, remove illegal settlers, and dismantle the separation wall in the West Bank. It also called for the return of land taken since 1967 and a boycott of goods from occupied territories.
The Palestinian representative at the UN described the resolution as an important step for justice and freedom. India's representative justified the abstention by saying it aimed to promote dialogue between both sides rather than create more division.
Critics view India's abstention as a departure from its long-standing support for Palestinian independence, particularly under the Modi government, which has bolstered relations with Israel in the last ten years. Additionally, India has previously abstained from votes concerning ceasefires in Gaza and arms shipments. India was one of 43 countries that abstained, while 14 nations voted against the resolution.
In a landmark judgment earlier in July, the ICJ declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory unlawful and called for it to “cease immediately all new settlement activities”.
The ICJ further stated that Israel’s policies and practices in East Jerusalem and the West Bank violate the “prohibition of the use of force in international relations and its corollary principle of the non-acquisition of territory by force”.
Among the expanded BRICS group, India and Ethiopia were the only members to abstain, while Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all voted in favour.
In India’s immediate neighbourhood, Nepal also abstained, while the rest of South Asia supported the resolution.
