Watch: Israel attacks Lebanon: Has India’s position on West Asia shifted at all?

Israel broadens the war in Gaza with an air attack on Lebanon, is the crisis in West Asia about to escalate? And as the one year mark since the October 7 terror attacks approaches, PM Modi meets the Palestinian President. Has India’s position shifted at all?

Israel broadens the war in Gaza with an air attack on Lebanon, is the crisis in West Asia about to escalate? And as the one year mark since the October 7 terror attacks approaches, PM Modi meets the Palestinian President. Has India’s position shifted at all?

This is High-Level week at the UN, and the conflicts in the world were at the centre of most speeches by world leaders- particularly focussed on Israel’s assault on Gaza, West Bank and now Lebanon post the October 7 terror attacks last year.

How is India impacted by spread in the conflict?

1. 8.7 million Indians live and work in West Asia- the conflict there affects them all due to geopolitical disturbances- after Israel where there are 20,000 Indians working, and more are being sent as labour, there are about 3,000 in Lebanon after the last advisory but more go. But if trouble spreads further Qatar has 700,000 Indians, UAE has 3.5 millions- it’s not just their safety but their livelihood that matters.

2. Much of India’s trade revenues and remittances come from West Asia- trade with GCC countries bloc alone is more than 15% of the total, and remittances from Indians working in West Asian countries is about 55% of the total While India now takes about 40% of its oil from Russia, the bulk of its imports traditionally is West Asia- Iraq, Saudi, UAE.

3. The conflict over the past year has put a spanner in India’s connectivity plans- more than a year since the IMEEC was announced, there has not even been one meeting of the founders due to the conflict that began a month after it was launched at the G20. In particular, Indian company Adani has invested in Haifa port- meant to be used for IMEEC, and that will be in trouble.

 4. Other plans like the I2U2 are on hold, on the other hand India’s plans for connectivity through Iran- INSTC, Chabahar etc see an indirect impact from any conflict in the region.