India doubles down on pro-Israel policy saying 'national interest' drives arms transfers

India will be guided by its "national interest" before reconsidering the transfer of weapons or arms sales to Israel, the country's external affairs minister has said, in yet another sign that Delhi is committed to providing diplomatic and military cover for Israel's genocide in Gaza.

On Thursday, several opposition politicians took the opportunity to use the Q&A session in parliament to probe India's external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on India's policies, including its decision to abstain from several UN resolutions on Gaza, as well as to clarify its position on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Jaishankar said that India officially supports the two-state solution but if resolutions did not adequately condemn terrorism or the holding of hostages, in reference to the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7  October 2023, Delhi could not sign them.

“As a country that has suffered from terrorism, India cannot support resolutions that underplay such acts. Resolutions must be well-drafted, balanced, and reflect the entirety of the situation,” he said.  

The Indian government has been under scrutiny over the past several months with reports that Indian arms, ammunition and technology were making their way to Israel's army for potential use in operations in Gaza.  

In late November, MEE found that an AI weapons system used by Israeli ground forces in Gaza was co-produced by the Indian company, Adani Defense and Aerospace.

Read the full story by clicking below.

India doubles down on pro-Israel policy saying 'national interest' drives arms transfers