After flirting with Israel, Modi woos Palestine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark upon a three-nation tour on Friday. He would cover Palestine, United Arab Emirates and Oman during this short, but diplomatically very important outing.

Modi’s visit to Palestine is a first by any Prime Minister of India and comes exactly six months after his visit to Israel, also a first by any Indian Prime Minister. Modi’s visit is significant as he is the first prime minister to diplomatically dehyphenate Palestina and Israel. India under Modi has been viewing both Israel and Palestine as mutually independent and exclusive. This visit to Palestina comes after Palestine’s arch foe Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu toured India.

India has voted against the US President Donald Trumps to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Netanyahu visited India after this vote in the UN.

Modi will touch down at Amman in Jordan and then board a chopper to reach the Palestinian capital of Ramallah. He would lay a wreath at Yasser Arafat’s memorial and hold discussions with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. "I am looking forward to my discussions with President Mahmoud Abbas and reaffirming our support for the Palestinian people and the development of Palestine," Modi said in an official statement ahead of his departure.