The United Nations’ aim of achieving a humanitarian truce in the Israel-Palestine conflict has taken a positive turn as a cluster of nations has voted in favour of a UN resolution that condemns Israeli settlement activities in the occupied territories of Palestine. India supported the resolution along with 145 other countries.
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The UN Resolution
The resolution titled “Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan” was presented at the fourth committee of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee at the United Nations General Assembly. A UN statement in the context of the resolution said that the resolution condemned Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Territories of Palestine, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan, and any sort of activities involving the confiscation of land, the disruption of the livelihood of protected persons, the forced transfer of civilians, and the seizure of land, whether de facto or through national legislation.
The resolution(document A/C.4/78/L.15) asserted that the Israeli occupation of the Palestine land is unlawful and acts as a barrier to economic and social peace and development.
India gives the green light.
India became one of the 145 other countries to approve the resolution that condemns Israeli settlement in occupied Palestine territories. France, Russia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bhutan, China, and Japan are among the nations that voted for the resolution. A significant fact of the voting process is that the US and Canada voted against the resolution, along with five other countries. 18 nations opted to abstain from the voting.
India’s decision to support the resolution is significant as India abstained from voting on the resolution proposed by Jordan last month, calling for a humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. India was among the 45 nations that abstained from the resolution titled “Protection of Civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations.” India abstained from the voting as the resolution did not make any mention of the October 7 attacks carried out by the terrorist group Hamas. Eventually, the resolution succeeded with a majority of 120 votes against 14 other nations rejecting the proposal.
Indian government received a lot of criticism for its decision from within the country and outside. Though an amendment was moved to add the Hamas issue to the plan before the main resolution, it did not win a two-thirds majority as it only had 88 votes in favour, including India. The absence of India’s requisite directly affected its decision to abstain.
Two-State Solution
India’s Deputy Permanent Representative, Yojna Patel, while explaining India’s decision, said that India’s stand on the Israel-Palestine issue remains the same as it was before. India advocates a negotiated Two-State solution. A negotiated two-state solution can bring in the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and viable state of Palestine coexisting with Israel in a peaceful and secure environment with recognized borders.
She welcomed international efforts for de-escalation and the humanitarian assistance given to the people of Gaza, pointing out India’s contribution to the issue.
As the war progressed, India’s view of the situation has transformed. India has changed its direct support for Israel to a more balanced approach. As the humanitarian damages continue to inflate, the Ministry of External Affairs has stated India’s long-term support for direct negotiations towards establishing an independent, sovereign, and viable state of Palestine.
Other pivotal draft resolutions of ‘9 November 2023’
- “Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories”. The resolution approved by a majority of 85 votes in favour against 13.
- “Assistance to Palestine refugees”. The resolution approved by a majority of 161 votes in favour against one.
- “Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East”. The resolution approved by a majority of 160 votes in favour against four.
- “Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues”. The resolution approved by a majority of 156 votes in favour against six
- “The occupied Syrian Golan”. The resolution approved by a majority of 146 votes in favour against two.
