Palestine has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to visit only Israel, when most international leaders visit leaders of both countries to maintain a diplomatic balance when visiting the region. Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Tasir Jaradat said the Mahmoud Abbas regime was expecting Modi to visit both administrations, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.

A group local political groups under the banner of the National and Islamic Forces staged a small demonstration outside the Indian Representative Office near Ramallah, Haaretz reported on Thursday. Demonstrators carried banners that read, “We call on India to stop economic cooperation with the occupation state,” “Boycott Israel and stop military cooperation with it” and “Bring India back to the days of Gandhi.’”

Advertisement

“To play an important role between the two sides and to be able to spread the message of peace, one should visit both,” Jaradat said. The Palestinian Liberation Organisation described the “apparent shift in India’s position as huge and dangerous”. In a statement to Haaretz, the PLO said Abbas had had a successful visit to India in May.

“We came here to remind everyone of the friendly and historic relationship between India and Palestine,” Hilmi Al Araj, a demonstrator said. “We also wish to remind India that the Palestinians are still suffering under the yoke of occupation. We want India to assume its responsibility and force the occupation to comply with the legitimate rights of our people.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led administration took a stance with Modi spending his three-day visit in the region exclusively in Israel. Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday signed seven Memorandums of Understanding in several areas, including space research, technology, water and agriculture during his state visit.