remained a poignant moment for India and set the tone for the next cri-
sis with Israel.
Rabat Conference, 1969
On August 21, 1969, a fi re broke out in the al- Aqsa mosque in
the old city of Jerusalem, again refocusing India’s Middle East policy.
The arson attack was carried out by a deranged Australian Christian
tourist, and it enraged Muslims all over the world.^38 While physical dam-
age to the mosque, the third- holiest shrine in Islam, was limited and
subsequently repaired, it called into question the safety and well being of
holy sites in the Israel- occupied old city of Jerusalem. Various countries
witnessed large protests and demonstrations against the “burning” of
the al- Aqsa mosque. With its large Muslim population, India was no ex-
ception. The government headed by Indira Gandhi refused to recognize
the incident as an Islamic issue.^39 In its view, the episode raised ques-
tions about the rights of the Palestinians and the preservation of holy and
sacred places. It joined other states in demanding the immediate imple-
mentation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Jerusalem.^40
Expressing the “shock and pain” over the action, on August 26, For-
eign Minister Dinesh Singh told the Lok Sabha: “I am sure the House
will join me in expressing our strong condemnation of this act of dese-
cration.” He attributed this to the “continued occupation of Jerusalem by
Israel in defi ance of the resolutions of the United Nations.”^41 A couple of
days later, he depicted it as a “barbaric act.” In his assessment, this was
not a “Muslim question” but “the question of the right of conscience of
humanity.” He was joined by other parliamentarians who urged the gov-
ernment to seek UN sanctions against Israel. Some left- wing members
blamed the United States as the real culprit and accused it of “encourag-
ing” Israel to perpetrate such actions.^42 Speaking at a public rally in New
Delhi on September 9, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi described it as
an “unholy” and “deplorable” action.^43 The Muslim community was out-
raged; widespread protest rallies were held in diff erent parts of the coun-
try. On August 29, an estimated ten million Muslims abstained from
work in the eastern city of Calcutta. The rally warned Israel and its sup-
porters that Muslims “all over the world will shed the last drop of their
blood to restore sanctity to their holy places.”^44 Similar rallies were held in
Bombay, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Kanpur.^45
210 the years of hardened hostility, 1964–1984