Representative image
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets UAE Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (November 14, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ANI

Amidst a flurry of exchanges between Indian and West Asian officials in the recent weeks, two senior Arab diplomats have taken charge of the ambassadorial posts at the Jordan and Egyptian embassies in New Delhi, indicating the fast-paced diplomatic consultations that are taking place between India and the leading powers in the conflict-torn West Asian region.

The arrival of new Jordan Ambassador Yousef Mustafa Ali Abdelghani and new Egyptian Ambassador Kamel Galal is viewed in the diplomatic circle as important, as both Jordan and Egypt are ‘frontline states’ that have a lot at stake in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

Also Read | The missing links in India-Middle East-Europe Corridor, as shown by the Gaza war

Ambassador Ali Abdelghani and Ambassador Galal are noted for the experience they bring with them that is necessary to maintain India’s relations with the Arab world. While Mr. Galal is noted for his experience of being in charge of the Palestine desk in the Foreign Ministry in Cairo, Mr. Abdelghani is reportedly a former head of the economic department at the Foreign Ministry in Amman and had earlier served in Turkey.

The appointments are significant in the context of the ongoing conflict involving Israel and of the close consultation that India has maintained with regional stakeholders since the beginning of the conflict. Diplomatic sources have informed that India is expected to host an important minister from Cairo soon.

Dialogue with Saudi, UAE

Continuing the regional dialogue, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar hosted Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on November 13, 2024. The two sides discussed the presence of a 2.65 million-strong Indian community that lives in the oil-rich kingdom. Both of them also presided over the second ministerial meeting of the Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Committee (PSSC) of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). Mr. Jaishankar’s meeting with Minister Al Farhan was followed by his meeting with his counterpart in the UAE, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on November 14, 2024.

Mr. Jaishankar’s interactions with his Saudi Arabia and UAE counterparts came right after Saudi Arabia hosted leaders of Arab and Islamic countries, where the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia demanded an “immediate end” to the Israeli campaign in Gaza and Lebanon and called for the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 boundary.

During the G20 Summit in New Delhi last year, the Saudi Crown Prince participated in the launch of the IMEC (India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor) that was going to include the Israeli port of Haifa. Officials are tightlipped about the fate of IMEC, but it is evident that the prolonged Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli attacks in Lebanon have posed a question mark on the initiative.

Former diplomat Dr. Zikrur Rahman, who served as the Indian envoy to Palestine, pointed out that Saudi Arabia has never formally engaged with Israel and is unlikely to do so under the given circumstances.

“Until and unless the Palestinian issue is resolved, there is no question of Saudi Arabia opening any diplomatic linkages with Israel because it is very important to Saudi Arabia to see that its principled stand on a two-state solution, which was championed by King Abdullah, is implemented, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state, and a formula on the return of Palestinian refugees is agreed upon,” Dr. Rahman said.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets UAE Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (November 14, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ANI

Amidst a flurry of exchanges between Indian and West Asian officials in the recent weeks, two senior Arab diplomats have taken charge of the ambassadorial posts at the Jordan and Egyptian embassies in New Delhi, indicating the fast-paced diplomatic consultations that are taking place between India and the leading powers in the conflict-torn West Asian region.

The arrival of new Jordan Ambassador Yousef Mustafa Ali Abdelghani and new Egyptian Ambassador Kamel Galal is viewed in the diplomatic circle as important, as both Jordan and Egypt are ‘frontline states’ that have a lot at stake in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

Also Read | The missing links in India-Middle East-Europe Corridor, as shown by the Gaza war

Ambassador Ali Abdelghani and Ambassador Galal are noted for the experience they bring with them that is necessary to maintain India’s relations with the Arab world. While Mr. Galal is noted for his experience of being in charge of the Palestine desk in the Foreign Ministry in Cairo, Mr. Abdelghani is reportedly a former head of the economic department at the Foreign Ministry in Amman and had earlier served in Turkey.

The appointments are significant in the context of the ongoing conflict involving Israel and of the close consultation that India has maintained with regional stakeholders since the beginning of the conflict. Diplomatic sources have informed that India is expected to host an important minister from Cairo soon.

Dialogue with Saudi, UAE

Continuing the regional dialogue, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar hosted Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on November 13, 2024. The two sides discussed the presence of a 2.65 million-strong Indian community that lives in the oil-rich kingdom. Both of them also presided over the second ministerial meeting of the Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Committee (PSSC) of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). Mr. Jaishankar’s meeting with Minister Al Farhan was followed by his meeting with his counterpart in the UAE, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on November 14, 2024.

Mr. Jaishankar’s interactions with his Saudi Arabia and UAE counterparts came right after Saudi Arabia hosted leaders of Arab and Islamic countries, where the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia demanded an “immediate end” to the Israeli campaign in Gaza and Lebanon and called for the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 boundary.

During the G20 Summit in New Delhi last year, the Saudi Crown Prince participated in the launch of the IMEC (India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor) that was going to include the Israeli port of Haifa. Officials are tightlipped about the fate of IMEC, but it is evident that the prolonged Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli attacks in Lebanon have posed a question mark on the initiative.

Former diplomat Dr. Zikrur Rahman, who served as the Indian envoy to Palestine, pointed out that Saudi Arabia has never formally engaged with Israel and is unlikely to do so under the given circumstances.

“Until and unless the Palestinian issue is resolved, there is no question of Saudi Arabia opening any diplomatic linkages with Israel because it is very important to Saudi Arabia to see that its principled stand on a two-state solution, which was championed by King Abdullah, is implemented, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state, and a formula on the return of Palestinian refugees is agreed upon,” Dr. Rahman said.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe
| Photo Credit: AP

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on June 23 reiterated Sri Lanka’s unwavering support for a separate Palestinian state to be established “within five years.”

The president also said that despite the country’s current bankrupt economy, generous public contributions collected a million dollars in response to his government’s Gaza Children’s Fund that was donated.

Mr. Wickremesinghe made these remarks during participation at a special service held at a Grand Jummah Mosque at the Muslim-dominated Kattankudy in the eastern province for the affected people of Gaza.

Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7 last year, killed around 1,200 people and took some 250 others as hostages. Since then, Israel has regularly bombarded the Gaza Strip killing over 37,000 Palestinians.

“Sri Lanka’s stance on the Gaza clashes would never change, action must be taken to set up an independent Palestine state within five years and murdering of civilians must stop,” he said.

“People should not be made to pay for the problems with Hamas. We all should assist in finding a solution to the Palestine problem – the state of Palestine must be set up before five years. It will not be productive to waste time talking about it, as we have done now for 40-50 years. Israel’s security concerns must be addressed separately,” Wickremesinghe added.

The Sri Lankan government decided to set up the Gaza Children’s Fund despite the country’s current bankruptcy (status) of the economy. “We did donate a million dollars, we asked for generous public contributions and we received good response,” Wickremesinghe said as he accepted a donation cheque from the trustees of the mosque in solidarity with the cause of children of Gaza.

Palestine Red Crescent Society evacuates casualties, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, June 16, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Armenia announced on June 21 its recognition of the State of Palestine, the latest country to do so during the war in Gaza, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Armenia supports a U.N. resolution on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and is in favour of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” the same statement said.

Also read | 145 countries now recognise a Palestinian state

“Based on the above and confirming its commitment to international law, equality of nations, sovereignty and peaceful coexistence, the Republic of Armenia recognises the State of Palestine,” Yerevan said.

Israel’s war in Gaza since the October 7 attack has revived a global push for Palestinians to be given a state of their own.

The other countries who recognised a state of Palestine are Norway, Spain and Ireland, breaking with the long-held view of Western powers that Palestinians can only gain statehood as part of a negotiated peace with Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)

A picture of a TV screen taken on May 28, 2024, shows Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez delivering a speech over the recognition of Palestinian statehood by Spain, at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the Spanish Cabinet will recognise a Palestinian state at its May 28 morning meeting as a European Union rift with Israel widens.

Ireland and Norway were also to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state later in the day. While dozens of countries have recognised a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so.

“This is a historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace,” said Sánchez, standing at the gates of the prime minister’s palace in Madrid, during a televised speech.

The Socialist leader, who announced his country’s decision before parliament last week, has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for recognition and a cease-fire in Gaza.

Relations between the EU and Israel nosedived Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that the EU should take action against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza’s city of Rafah.

Norway, which is not an EU member but often aligns its foreign policy with the bloc, handed diplomatic papers to the Palestinian government over the weekend ahead of its formal recognition of a Palestinian state.

Also Read | Israel to reprimand Irish, Norwegian, Spanish envoys over Palestine recognition

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians.

At the same time, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including leaders of the Hamas militant group.

In his speech on Tuesday, Mr. Sánchez said that the recognition of a Palestinian state was “a decision that we do not adopt against anyone, least of all against Israel, a friendly people whom we respect, whom we appreciate and with whom we want to have the best possible relationship.”

He called for a permanent cease-fire, for stepping up humanitarian aid into Gaza and for the release of hostages that Hamas has held since the October 7 attack that triggered Israel’s response.

Mr. Sánchez also laid out his vision for a state ruled by the Palestinian National Authority that must connect the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem through a corridor.

“We will not recognise changes in the 1967 border lines other than those agreed to by the parties,” Mr. Sánchez added.

U.S. President Joe Biden.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The White House said on May 22 it opposed “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state after Ireland, Norway and Spain announced they would establish relations but warned Israel against withholding funds in retaliation.

President Joe Biden “has been on the record supporting a two-state solution,” his National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, told reporters.

“He has been equally emphatic on the record that that two-state solution should be brought about through direct negotiations through the parties, not through unilateral recognition,” he said.

He stopped short of criticizing the decision to formally recognize the State of Palestine by the three European countries, all close allies of the United States.

“Each country is entitled to make its own determinations, but the U.S. position on this is clear,” Mr. Sullivan said.

Israel has responded angrily, including by withdrawing envoys, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the European nations of offering a “reward for terror.”

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Mr. Netanyahu that he wants to take retaliatory action including severing an arrangement in which Norway handles funds intended to the Palestinian Authority.

Under peace agreements brokered in part by Norway in the 1990s, Israel collects money for the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank.

But Israel has blocked transfers since the aftermath of the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Sullivan said that funds should keep going to the Palestinian Authority which the Biden administration wants to strengthen in hopes it can assume control of Gaza from Hamas.

“I think it’s wrong on a strategic basis, because withholding funds destabilizes the West Bank,” Mr. Sullivan said of Israeli moves to stop funds.

“It undermines the search for security and prosperity for the Palestinian people which is in Israel’s interests, and, I think, it’s wrong to withhold funds that provide basic goods and services to innocent people,” he said.

Mr. Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have been pushing Israel to move forward on a timeline for a Palestinian state, in part by dangling the prospect of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel.

But Washington vetoed a recent UN Security Council bid to recognize the State of Palestine, saying that recognition could only come through negotiations that take into account Israel’s security interests.