India supports two-state solution for solving Israel-Palestine conflict, says PM Modi
During a bilateral visit to Jakarta, India's stated position reaffirmed support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The statement was made in the context of a broader press interaction covering multiple India-Indonesia agreements, including defence and strategic cooperation deals.
The remarks emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy have become increasingly important amid global geopolitical turbulence.
Indonesia's leadership also reiterated support for the two-state solution during the same engagement, reflecting shared positions between the two states on the issue.
The statement was framed as a continuation of India's long-standing foreign policy position rather than a new policy announcement.
The Two-State Solution: Origins and Legal Basis
The "two-state solution" refers to the proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the creation of an independent, sovereign State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, generally understood to be based on the pre-1967 boundaries (armistice lines from the 1949 Arab-Israeli War), with mutually agreed land swaps. Its roots trace to the United Nations General Assembly's Partition Plan for Palestine, Resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947, which proposed separate Jewish and Arab states with Jerusalem under international administration. The framework was reinforced through the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which established the Palestinian Authority as an interim self-governing body pending a final-status agreement.
Key Details
- UNGA Resolution 181 (1947): proposed partition into Jewish and Arab states; India voted against this specific partition resolution at the time.
- Oslo Accords (1993): signed between Israel and the PLO, establishing the Palestinian Authority and a roadmap toward Palestinian self-governance, though a final two-state settlement was never concluded.
- UNGA Resolution 67/19 (2012): upgraded Palestine's status at the UN to a "non-member observer state," a step widely seen as reinforcing statehood claims within the two-state framework.
- The two-state solution remains the internationally endorsed framework referenced by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and most individual states, including the United States and the European Union, though implementation has stalled amid continued settlement expansion and periodic conflict.
Reaffirming support for the two-state solution situates India's statement within this established international legal and diplomatic framework rather than as a novel or unilateral position, aligning New Delhi with the broader international consensus.
India's Historical Relationship with Palestine
India's engagement with the Palestinian cause dates to before Indian independence, with the Indian National Congress opposing the 1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine. India was the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, in 1974; a PLO office was established in New Delhi in 1975, and full diplomatic relations were established in March 1980. India recognised the State of Palestine in November 1988, shortly after the Palestinian declaration of independence. India's Representative Office, initially set up in Gaza in 1996, was relocated to Ramallah in 2003.
Key Details
- India voted against the 1947 UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181) that first proposed a two-state framework.
- India recognised PLO: 1974 (first non-Arab state to do so); recognised State of Palestine: November 1988.
- India's Representative Office to Palestine: established in Gaza (1996), relocated to Ramallah (2003).
- India has consistently supported Palestinian causes at multilateral forums, including votes at the United Nations favouring Palestinian rights and statehood.
The reaffirmation of the two-state solution stance during the Indonesia visit is consistent with this decades-long historical position, illustrating continuity in India's West Asia policy even as its ties with Israel have deepened since the 1990s.
India-Israel Relations and India's "De-Hyphenation" Policy in West Asia
India recognised the State of Israel in 1950 but did not establish full diplomatic relations until 29 January 1992, when both countries opened resident missions in New Delhi and Tel Aviv. Since the 1990s, India has pursued what analysts term a "de-hyphenation" policy — engaging substantively and independently with both Israel and Palestine without treating the two relationships as mutually exclusive or requiring one to be traded off against the other.
Key Details
- India recognised Israel: September 1950; established full diplomatic relations: 29 January 1992.
- Since the 1990s, India-Israel ties have grown across defence, agriculture, water management, and technology cooperation, alongside continued Indian support for Palestinian statehood.
- India abstained or voted variably on different Israel-related UN resolutions in recent years, reflecting a calibrated position rather than uniform alignment with either side.
- India's stated position continues to call for direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine within the two-state framework, alongside condemnation of violence against civilians on both sides.
The Jakarta statement demonstrates the de-hyphenation approach in practice — India's growing strategic and defence partnerships (including with Indonesia, a Muslim-majority nation historically close to the Palestinian cause) are pursued without altering India's independent, decades-old position on Palestinian statehood.
- UNGA Partition Plan for Palestine: Resolution 181 (II), adopted 29 November 1947
- India recognised PLO: 1974 (first non-Arab country); recognised State of Palestine: November 1988
- India-Israel full diplomatic relations established: 29 January 1992
- Oslo Accords (Israel-PLO): signed 1993, established the Palestinian Authority
- UNGA Resolution 67/19: upgraded Palestine to "non-member observer state" status, 2012
- India's Representative Office to Palestine: Gaza (1996) relocated to Ramallah (2003)
- Statement made during a bilateral visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, alongside separate defence and strategic agreements