India says its position on Palestine independent
Xinhua,December 07, 2017 Adjust font size:
NEW DELHI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- India said here on Thursday that its position on Palestine is "independent and consistent, in the wake of the U.S. recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
"India's position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by our views and interests, and not determined by any third country," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a statement.
The United States became the first country in the world to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump approving a plan to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city.
The status of Jerusalem lies at the heart of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
And India -- friends to both Israel and Palestine -- has traditionally been supportive to an independent Palestine as part of a two-state solution, despite its ties with Tel Aviv increasing with Narendra Modi being the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish state this year. Enditem