Israel on Wednesday hailed India’s abstention at the UNHRC vote on Gaza war as a “qualitative” leap in bilateral ties that made it a “normal relation without hangups,” even as India maintained that the vote does not mark any shift in its policy on the Palestinian cause.
The remarks came as India and Israel held Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), days after the highly publicised vote.
The consultations were led by Secretary (East) at Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Anil Wadhwa, and his Israeli counterpart, Director General Dore Gold.
Israel is said to have expressed its appreciation for India’s stand during the vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The FOC is a routine dialogue between the two sides to review bilateral relations and not related to the vote.
Mark Sofer, the deputy director-general at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs who is currently heading the Division for Asia and the Pacific at the ministry, later told The Jerusalem Post that the dialogue came at a particularly “auspicious moment.”
‘Qualitative leap’ The relationship, which has been steadily improving over the years, has taken a “qualitative” leap forward since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election, he said.
“The qualitative change in the relationship is palpable in every single sphere, and that is important to note,” he said adding that India represents “a quarter of the world population and everyone is running to be there.”
