FM: India's national interest lies in selling arms to Israel

The Indian external affairs minister has defended the country's export of weapons to Israel despite the regime's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying the policy is guided by New Delhi's national interest.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made the remarks during a Q&A session at the Indian parliament on Thursday, amid reports that Indian arms, ammunition and technology are making their way to the Israeli military which is committing war crimes in Gaza.

Asked whether India had any intention to consider an arms embargo on Israel, he said New Delhi made decisions based on what was best for the country. 

"The issue of India's exports, including India's exports of anything which directly or indirectly has any military implications, is guided by our national interest and by our commitments to various regimes," he said.

Referring to India's "strong" cooperation with Israel in the field of national security, he said, "When we take any decision, we will bear in mind, obviously, the larger circumstances, but we will definitely be driven by our national interest in this matter."

India is the largest purchaser of Israeli weapons, accounting for around $1 billion of trade per year. In recent years, the country has also become a major co-producer of Israeli arms.

Indian human rights activists and scholars have raised concerns about India’s complicity in Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

In September, however, India’s top court dismissed a petition seeking to suspend the country’s military transfer to Israel. 

Last month, the Middle East Eye news portal reported that Israel has been employing an artificial intelligence firing system jointly manufactured by an Indian arms company during the Gaza onslaught that has killed at least 44,580 Palestinians over the past almost 14 months.

Israel using AI weapons co-produced by India in Gaza genocide: Report

Israel has been employing an artificial intelligence firing system jointly manufactured by an Indian arms company during its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to a report.

Also at the parliament, Jaishankar was asked about India's abstention from several UN resolutions on Gaza.

He said New Delhi could not vote for the resolutions that did not adequately condemn the 7 October 2023 operation by the Hamas resistance group against the usurping entity and the holding of Israeli captives in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the top Indian diplomat was asked about the recent arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant over their war crimes in Gaza.

He said that India was not a signatory to The Hague-based tribunal and thus had not taken a formal position on the matter.

Netanyahu and Gallant are at risk of arrest if they step foot in any of the 124 countries that signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk