IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, July 23: During his visit to Israel, first by any Indian Prime Minister since creation of the Jewish country, Narendra Modi didn’t visit Palestine, also a first by an Indian leader visiting Israel, and thus invited criticism by a section of political class and civil society who said he was shifting from India’s established Gandhian-Nehruvian policy on Palestine just to please his Hindutva followers. But there was something more than met the eye and which has now been accidently ‘exposed’.
During a close-door meeting with leaders from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia in Budapest earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told them: “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he needs water for his people. ‘Where will I get it? Ramallah? No’.”
What Netanyahu said was not for public or press but it was accidentally transmitted to the headphones of the pressmen covering the summit in the Hungarian capital.
Haaretz, one of Israel’s leading news outlets, has released the audio.
PM Modi had visited Israel from 4-6 July.
If what his Israeli counterpart has said about him is true, then it shows that our Prime Minister didn’t want to antagonize Israel as he wanted to purchase water technology from it and Palestine does not have any such thing to give to the world.
In his reaction over the development, Palestinian envoy to India, Adnan Abu Alhaijaa, told The Indian Express that Palestinians were also highly educated and if given freedom, their scientists can also develop technology and attract India.
“Our problem is occupation. We, Palestinians, are well-educated, we have good scientists. If we are free, our scientists can develop technology. I hope when Prime Minister Modi visits free Palestine next time, and not occupied Palestine, he will find technology in our country, in water and in agriculture,” the Palestinian envoy told the esteemed daily.
Meanwhile, India has reiterated that there was no change in its policy on Palestine and even in his visit there and talks with his Israeli counterpart, PM Modi talked about the Israel-Palestine issue.
