Trusting Delhi, Palestine won’t oppose Israel ties

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has told Krishna that they had complete trust in India and New Delhi’s closer ties with Israel do not worry them, sources say.

Krishna met Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories last week — the first in more than a decade by a high-ranked Indian dignitary.

Abbas was of the view that Indian influence in Israel would be of value to Palestine, and that they were confident that India will always support the concern of Palestine whenever the need arose anywhere.

In Tel Aviv, a different and a wider angle view was what Krishna gathered during his talks with the Israeli political brass. They revealed that they want to look at ties with India at a level beyond that of Israel-Palestine troubled relationship. The sources have said that the issue of Palestine did not arise in Krishna’s talks in the Israeli capital.

The Israelis want to deepen cooperation with India beyond drip-irrigation in agriculture and purchase of defence ancillaries. They want to offer doctoral scholarhips to Indian researchers.
The Israelis are more concerned with Iran and its alleged nuclear weapons programme. The sources have described the Israeli concern with Iran as an existential one. Krishna showed rare candour and told the Israelis that every country has a right to pursue a peaceful nuclear energy programme as long as this is done in conformity with international treaty obligations.