Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Arab world has noticed PM Modi’s support for Israel and criticism of Hamas, not India’s official stand in favor of the two-nation idea. The reason is PM Modi’s early stance. On 7 Oct, soon after the Hamas bombing of Israel, PM Modi tweeted solidarity with Israel. On 10 Oct, PM Modi called his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the escalation in violence in West Asia. On 12 Oct, by the time the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released its statement on ‘independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel,’ it was already too late. On 19 Oct, PM Modi spoke to the Palestine Authority. On 20 Oct, the Indian foreign ministry reiterated that India has always been in support of statehood for Palestine. On 22 Oct, India sent aid to Gaza. These too did not register with the Arab world. The digital age is known for its speed, and India lost five days while its leader was cozying up to Israel. Additionally, the atmosphere on Indian television is pro-Israel and against Palestine. Though on ground, among worldwide pro-Palestine protests, there have been protests in Panjab, Delhi, Bangalore and other cities. Like in the Russia-Ukraine war, India is now trying to be on both sides. However, the West needed Russian oil, that is not the case here. The core issue is India lacks a larger foreign policy framework, and a vision of itself in world affairs.
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