Fact Check: India has not opposed the inclusion of Palestine in BRICS
NewsMeter found that the claim is false as the Indian government has not announced its stand on Palestine’s bid for inclusion in BRICS.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 27 Aug 2024 12:06 PM GMT
Claim: India has opposed Palestine’s bid for inclusion in BRICS.
Fact: The claim is false. No such announcement has been made by the Indian government.
Hyderabad: During a news conference in Moscow on August 26, Palestinian ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal announced that Palestine plans to apply for BRICS membership after the organisation’s next summit, scheduled to be held in Russia this October.
In this context, several social media users have claimed that while China and Russia are supportive of Palestine’s bid to join BRICS, India, one of the founding members, is allegedly opposing it.
An X user made the claim and wrote, “INDIA asked BRICS to not include Palestine in BRICS but Russia and China rejected India’s stance.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false as the Indian government has not announced its stand on Palestine’s bid for inclusion in BRICS.
We ran a keyword search but did not find any media report or announcement by the Indian government opposing Palestine’s bid to join BRICS.
However, a report by The Economics Times published on June 12, 2024, stated that India, alongside other BRICS members, condemned Israel’s military actions in Gaza in a joint statement. The collective stance by BRICS criticised Israel’s operations for disregarding international law and causing significant civilian casualties.
The statement was part of a broader call for adherence to international humanitarian principles and support for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The article highlighted India’s alignment with the BRICS position, emphasising the need for peaceful conflict resolution through dialogue.
We also checked the BRICS joint statement published on India’s Ministry of External Affairs website on June 10, 2024.
The statement expressed deep concern over the worsening situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the unprecedented escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli military operations. Additionally, it reaffirmed the group’s support for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations and reiterated their commitment to the two-state solution.
We also found a Q&A in the Lok Sabha regarding the Indian government’s position on Palestine and the escalation in the Israel-Palestine conflict. It was published on the Ministry of External Affairs website on February 2, 2024.
The Union government was asked if ‘India has changed its stand on Palestine and extended its support to Israel in recent Israel-Palestine war’.
Replying to the query, V Muraleedharan, the then MoS in the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that India’s policy towards Palestine has been long-standing and consistent.
“We have supported a negotiated two-state solution, towards the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, living side by side in peace with Israel,” his reply read. The reply also stated that ‘India has strongly condemned the terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.’
There is no mention that India has explicitly taken Israel’s side in the conflict or that it has opposed any type of support to the Palestinian cause.
There was also no announcement or report stating that India has taken an anti-Palestine stance while China and Russia are supportive of Palestine’s bid for inclusion in BRICS. Hence, we conclude that the claim is false.
What is BRICS?
In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China established the BRIC group. South Africa joined in 2010, expanding it to BRICS.
The organisation was created to unite some of the world’s most significant developing countries to challenge the political and economic dominance of wealthier nations in North America and Western Europe.
BRICS holds annual summits and promotes cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, and political coordination. On January 1, 2024, four new members—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates—were added to the organisation.
