NEW DELHI, India, Aug. 3, Reuter: Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi today reaffirmed unconditional support for the Palestine Liberation Organization and denounced Israel for its obduracy and intransigence.
Speaking at a banquet in honor of visiting PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, Gandhi went out of his way to dispel recent belief that India might be softening its stance towards Israel.
Speculation that a change might be in view had followed India’s unexpected decision to allow Israel’s Davis Cup Tennis team to compete here last month despite a longtime ban on sporting contacts.
In his speech, whose text was distributed by the government, Gandhi warmly welcomed Arafat as “much mor than an honored guest you are a brother and a friend”.
He said the Palestinian problem had not eluded solution for lack of international concern or effort. “It is primarily due to the obduracy of Israel.
“Israel’s intransigence has been encouraged by the external support it receives”, Gandhi continued, adding: “It must halt its aggressive and expansionist policies and concede the national rights of the Palestinian people”.
Calling for total and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, the Indian leader supported what he called’ the growing consensus in favor of an international peace conference on the Middle East.
“It is indispensable that the PLO and all parties concerned must participate in such a conference”, he said.
But although India is regarded as the Soviet Union’s closest ally in the South Asian region, Gandhi did not specifically call for it to participate in the conference, leaving open the question of whether he would regard the Soviet Union as a concerned party.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 7, 1987
