The recent visit to Palestine by PM Modi has created much furore in the political world. Weeks after the visit of Israel, Modi made two deals with Palestine government.  Modi signed deals worth 50 billion with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, among the deals there is a 30 billion worth super specialty hospital.

India has age-old ties with Palestine, dating back to 1970s. India had close ties with PLO, which is now one main umbrella organization. Modi has assured full support for peace-making in the Middle East and for an independent Palestine.

India’s relation with Israel goes back to 1992, but a warmer relationship was developed after the coming of BJP government in 2014. Currently, India is the largest buyer of Israeli weapons. Also in 2017 Modi visited Israel. But at the same time Modi voted against in UN when Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

There are several people who view these complicated relations in different ways; they have variety views on them. Apoorva Gautam, South Asia Coordinator at Palestinian BDS said that the real support for Palestine lied with the Indian people. Vijay Prashad a US-based professor said that India’s ties with Palestine are contested. Shamiyeh a Foreign Ministry official of Palestine said that India has tactical ties with Israel. Muralidharan a journalist and Gautam, South Asia Coordinator feels that the last visits of Modi with Netanyahu, especially after the news of Tel Aviv, the balance has shifted more towards Israel.

With Foreign Policy always being mostly symbolic and fragile and with the recent visits, we can conclude that Modi is trying hard to strike a balance which will save both the ties past and present, while he thinks about a peaceful future.