Modi strengthening Israeli occupation by skipping Palestine: Owaisi

Hyderabad July 3 (IANS) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that by skipping Palestine during his visit to Israel Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was strengthening the Jewish state s occupation of Palestinian territories.

With Modi set to become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel the Hyderabad MP said his three-day tour would mark a major shift in India s foreign policy on Palestine.

Owaisi said support to Palestinian cause had been the cornerstone of India s policy for over seven decades.

He said by not visiting Palestinian territories occupied by Israel and by not meeting Palestinian authorities Modi would help Israeli propaganda effort and strengthen its occupation of West Bank and Gaza.

He recalled that whenever Indian authorities visited Israel they also visited Palestine. He termed as very unfortunate India s decision to abstain from voting at the UN Human Rights Council which found that Israel had committed war crimes.

--IANS
ms/mr