The Palestinian Quest for Statehood at the United Nations: International Reactions and India's Position

On Friday, September 23, 2011, President Mahmoud Abbas requested full UN membership for a Palestinian State. While his announcement was met by a thunderous applause at the UN General Assembly, the fate of the Palestinian State is yet to be decided as major international actors such as the US and Europe are now manoeuvring to keep the official bid from actually being presented at the UN Security Council. In spite of growing relations with the US and Israel, India has maintained its traditional support for the Palestinian cause. It has already announced its support for the Palestinian bid for statehood. In view of disagreements among the UNSC members on President Abbas' recent initiative, and good relations with both Israel and the Palestinians, India has a unique opportunity to play a role in the West Asian peace process.

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