Why Was There No Indian Ambassador Or Embassy In Israel Until 1992? Questions S Jaishankar

The Israel issue was raised by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a forum for Nationalist Thinkers in Hyderabad. He questioned why there had been no ambassador and embassy in Israel until 1992, on Tuesday.

Jaishankar highlighted the period from 1948 to 1992, during which India chose not to establish an ambassadorial presence in Israel despite its independence in 1948. He emphasized the significance of this decision and its potential influence by stating, "Think about it and then tell me that faith does not influence our policy. What is it? Is it not a vote bank?"

Photo Credit: PTI

The minister noted that India officially recognized Israel in 1950 but did not establish full diplomatic relations until January 29, 1992. Jaishankar also pointed out the absence of Indian prime ministerial visits to Israel from 1992 to 2017, including the historic visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017.

The statements were made at the forum in Hyderabad, where Jaishankar discussed foreign policy strategies and India's evolving stance towards international relations. Last month, expressions of concern regarding civilian casualties in the Hamas-Israel conflict were made by Jaishankar, emphasizing the varied pressures and considerations at play. He highlighted the necessity for responses to uphold international humanitarian law.

In response to coordinated attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel last year, communication was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demonstrating solidarity with Israel.

In a public announcement on X, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Netanyahu for the update on the situation and reiterated India's firm condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.