Israel Thanks India For Support At UN, Expects Prime Minister Narendra Modi To Visit In 2017

Israel’s Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka, Daniel Carmon, thanked New Delhi for “the changes and the shifts” in the Indian position at various United Nations bodies in the past two years. “We have appreciated very much the changes and the shifts in position”, he said, referring to India’s decision to abstain from resolutions critical of Israel at the UN, UNHRC and UNESCO.

Talking to The Hindu, Carmon said that the votes so far are not a “trend” and the shift, which India denies, should not be “over-exaggerated”. “I would not over exaggerate this as a trend, each side has their declared positions and it is not a zero sum game”, the daily quoted him as saying. Though India has stood unequivocally with the Palestinian cause and supports the two-state solution, it has supported the Jewish state on various occasions.

Carmon was speaking in the context of the controversial United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory that has triggered a diplomatic standoff between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has also stepped up retaliatory measures against the 14 countries that voted for the resolution.

On the question of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, the ambassador hinted that 2017 will be a year of “high level” visits, adding that his country expects a Modi visit in the coming year.