international factors 167and alienation. The areas where the two countries’ interests converged
were con ve niently forgotten.^6
Nehru endorsed Israel’s omission at Bandung and thereby institution-
alized its exclusion from the emerging bloc of Afro- Asian countries.
When Yugo slavia hosted the fi rst summit of the Non- Aligned Movement
(NAM) in September 1961, Israel’s absence was considered normal. The
Belgrade Summit extended its support “for the full restoration of all rights
of the Arab people of Palestine in conformity with the Charter and resolu-
tion of the United Nations.”^7 Because the NAM operates by consensus,
had Israel been present, it would also have urged the Arabs’ ac cep tance of
the UN partition resolution.^8 Israel’s absence meant there was no need for
balance, and before long NAM pronouncements on Israel became stron-
ger and virulent. By the 1970s, anti- Israeli rhetoric became an integral
part of NAM meetings and other Third World gatherings. Earlier, the In-
dian nationalists had not viewed Zionism as a genuine national- liberation
movement. Following in de pen dence, they did not consider Israel to be
part of the emerging Afro- Asian bloc. Willing or otherwise, Nehru was a
handmaid in the whole pro cess.
If this was not enough, the Congress Party– Muslim League rivalry
took a turn for the worst.
The Pakistan Factor
There is a parallel between the Congress Party– Muslim League
rivalry of the prein de pen dence years and the post- 1947 Indo- Pakistan ri-
valry. During the freedom struggle, especially since the mid- 1920s, the
Congress Party was entangled in an intense rivalry with the Muslim
League to secure the support of Indian Muslims. The INC embrace of the
Khilafat struggle and the prominence given to the Palestine issue were
partly motivated by its desire to enlist the support of the Muslims, who
were very concerned over these developments. After in de pen dence, Paki-
stan occupied a central position in India’s foreign policy. Its overall pol-
icy, especially on issues such as nonalignment, anticolonialism, and anti-
imperialism has been relatively in de pen dent from the Pakistan factor.
But its Middle East policy, particularly on Israel, has been heavily colored
and dominated by New Delhi’s preoccupation with Islamabad.
Both India and Pakistan pursued their interests in the Middle East by
highlighting their consistent support for the Palestinians. While Pakistan