Palestine ‘concerned’ over India’s abstention during vote at UNHRC
Amid a perceptible shift in India’s Middle East policy, Palestine has expressed concern at India’s abstention during a vote at the UN Human Rights Council that resulted in the setting up of an inquiry into rights violations during the Israel-hamas conflict in Gaza.
Palestine’s concerns were conveyed by foreign minister Riad Malki in a letter sent to his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on May 30. The letter, accessed by HT, stated that India’s abstention during the vote on May 27 “stifles the important work of Human Rights Council at advancing human rights for all peoples, including those of the Palestinian people”.
The development comes against the backdrop of India
NEW DELHI:
dropping its traditional reference to support for the “just Palestinian cause” in at least three recent statements at the UN Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council. The statements, however, retained the usual reference to a two-state solution to be achieved through direct negotiations to ensure lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.
Malki’s unusually strongly worded letter stated: “I write to express our concern by the position taken by Republic of India in the Human Rights Council 30th special session of 27 May 2021, on the seminal resolution ‘Ensuring respect for international human rights law and humanitarian law in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel’.”
It added, “Republic of India missed an opportunity to join the international community at this turning point, both crucial and long overdue, on the path to accountability, justice, and peace.”
Following the adoption of the resolution, presented by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Palestinian delegation, by 24 votes, the Human Rights Council established an international commission of inquiry into “violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law” during the Israel-hamas conflict.
The move was rejected by Israel. India, Brazil, France, Italy and Nepal were among the 14 countries that abstained during the vote. It was not immediately clear whether Malki wrote similar letters to his counterparts in other countries that abstained.