India on Friday reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution to the Palestine issue and said it had joined more than 100 countries and international organisations in a statement condemning Israel’s attempts to expand unlawful settlements in the West Bank.India did not figure in the initial statement that was endorsed by around 80 countries and organisations. Palestine’s UN envoy Riyad Mansour released it on Tuesday.A fresh statement saw India and around 20 countries and organisations back it.
Asked why India was not part of the initial statement, External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing that the document had not been negotiated by the countries and organisations as has been the norm.
“Our position on this particular issue was most recently expressed in the India-Arab League ministerial joint statement,” he said.In their meeting held in New Delhi on January 31, India and the Arab League pitched for a sovereign and viable Palestine state living side-by-side with Israel while calling for “just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East” in line with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.