(This was originally posted in Business Standard)
India has abstained on a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) (The United Nations Human Rights Council is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The United Nations Human Rights Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis) to set up a Commission of Inquiry on human rights violations during violence blamed on Israel in Palestinian territory, said a diplomat on Thursday night. New Delhi’s decision to abstain from voting indicates a slight shift to strike a balance between its traditionally strong support to the cause of Palestine and its growing relations with Israel, reported the ‘Indian Express’.
Among other countries that abstained are France, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland and South Korea. “India abstains on resolution at UNHRC to set up Commission of Inquiry (on human rights violation in occupied Palestinian Territory incl East Jerusalem & in Israel). With 24 members voting in favour & 9 against, resolution is adopted,” said Indra Mani Pandey, Indian envoy to United Nations (Geneva), on Twitter.
Those voting in favour of the resolution are Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Russia, while Germany, the UK, Austria, among others, voted against it following which UNHRC decided to create an open-ended international investigation into violations surrounding the latest Gaza violence, and into the “systematic” abuses in the Palestinian territories and inside Israel, said ‘Express’.
