It’s high time for India to understand and acknowledge what Israel is. They don’t have a law which they can be forced to follow. They follow their own law in their own way. Those who recognise Israel are not supposed to recognise that there is some country called Palestine. No, there is nothing called Palestine. All the area west of Jordan River and spreading up to the Mediterranean Sea belongs to them. After all, it has been given to them by no less an authority than God himself. How can anybody question it? Moreover, it is under their control for over a half century—de facto or de jure does not make any difference. It is their law that runs throughout that area.
On 12 April, 2018 roared a headline, “Israel detains Indian delegation on way to Palestine, deports back to India.” Their visas were cancelled they were told to go back. Mohammed Salim, a Member of Parliament, was one of the delegates. He had diplomatic status. After verifying the same, he was allowed to enter the Palestine area subject to the condition that he shall not go to Ramallah and attend the conference. He declined the offer.
Over the past more than a decade, India has embraced Israel as a bosom friend, knowing fully well what it is. First the UPA and now the NDA government feel that Israel can be a reliable ally that can help in boosting our defences. Israel is supposed to be efficient as it has survived the ‘terrorist’ attacks of displaced and disabled Palestinians. It is an open fact that Israel could not have survived but for the unconditional support extended by the sole super power, the United States of America. Once you want the friendship of the Israelis, they declare their conditions. You need their help in defence, but they will not allow you to restrict the relationship to defence alone. It has to be extended to trade and commerce. They are in need of markets for their innumerable products. They are facing resistance from democratic countries because of the BDS movement—boycott, divest and sanction. Iraq, the country devastated by America, has become the market for Israeli products. India has also been offered help in improving its agriculture and industry, and India has not been able to refuse it even though what they offer is not in any way superior to what India already has. Even in defence, they have used as a bait some equipment that India needs and along with it pressurised India to buy other defence equipment too. India initially fell for it—on Israeli, that were detrimental to indigenous development. But later, India scrapped the agreement. Don’t expect Israel to forget or forgive this. Israel craves for diplomatic recognition from other countries as many countries refuse relations because of their policies. Even then, they insist that any relationship shall be on their own terms.
The life of Palestinians in the West Bank is completely controlled by Israel—through their army. That is, West Bank is factually under military rule of an alien country. This is continuing for over half a century. Only the people who have experienced life under military rule, that too a hostile force, can understand what this means. They control the visitors in and out of this entire area. Even the movement of people living inside this area is subject to strict control of Israel forces. It is in this situation that the Government of India sent a delegation to attend a conference organised by the Palestine Liberation Organisation at Ramallah, within the West Bank. The topic of the conference was: Jerusalem: The Eternal Capital of Palestine. But Palestine is not yet liberated. With Israel not willing to define the boundaries of their country, Palestinians do not know what area they can call as their own. They do not know when will get a State of their own and, in what shape. Being suffocated under the military rule of Israel, they try to claim Jerusalem as their ‘eternal’ capital. Naturally, it irritates Israel.
Having established diplomatic and trade relations with Israel, India is also trying to step on the Palestine boat and also claims to be a supporter of Palestinian aspirations which are quite contradictory to those of Israel. It sent a team of delegates to attend the conference in Ramallah. The Israel army refused them entry into the West Bank. The delegation insisted that they have a right to enter as they have visas. The army took hold of their passports and stated that their visas were cancelled by a committee of the army. After all, the area is under their control. The question is, who issued the visas? If they are issued by the Israel embassy in India, how can their army cancel it? If the visas are issued by the Palestinian authorities, how are they valid as they do not have their own country? The State of Palestine is not yet formed. Even the UNO has given only an observer status to the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli army did not allow the Indian delegates to enter the West Bank, and after waiting for four hours they were forced to return to Jordan and come back to India.
Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs pleaded with the Government of Israel, but it was of no use. India pointed out that one of the delegates is a Member of Parliament and has a diplomatic status. Israel agreed to allow that one delegate to enter, without any restrictions. He was allowed to attend the conference. He had come with his family and all were allowed. Thus, one member attended the conference as a delegate from India. That is the respect India has got as an ally of Israel with diplomatic and trade relations. Obviously, India expected Israel would be courteous enough to allow the delegates. But it failed to realise how sensitive is the matter of control over West Bank, and more particularly Jerusalem, for Israel. On the question of control over the West Bank, Israel did not care even for the suggestions of America, despite the fact that America stands by them in every crisis. Yes, that is Israel, and it is like no other country.
