Of Ties, Old and New

In his new book, Hostile Homelands, journalist and author Azad Essa draws a parallel between India and Israel and focuses on the basis of their 'new-found relationship'

- AKASH CHATTERJEE

A month ago, when Spain brought a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly that condemned Israel for using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access, India abstained from voting in favour of the motion. It was the second time in a span of a few months when India deviated from its historical position on the Israel-Palestine tussle. A country that became the first non-Arab nation state to recognise the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLO) as the sole representative of the Palestinian people in 1974 and the state of Palestine in 1988, now feels hesitant to express its support towards the cause of Palestine.

In his new book,