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India's UN Voting Record on Israel, 1947 to 2026

Reviewed 13 Oct 20269 min read24 sources
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India voted against both founding UN decisions on Israel: the partition plan on 29 November 1947 and Israel's admission as a member on 11 May 1949. India recognised Israel on 17 September 1950 but opened full diplomatic relations only on 29 January 1992. In 1975 India voted for Resolution 3379, which called Zionism a form of racism. In 1991 it voted to revoke that resolution. From 2015 onward India began abstaining on texts that targeted Israel through inquiries and international courts. In 2019 it voted with Israel at the Economic and Social Council, and in October 2023 it backed an amendment condemning Hamas. India still votes for most General Assembly texts on Palestinian statehood, including the September 2025 two-state declaration. The record runs from opposition, to recognition, to selective abstention alongside a strategic partnership.

The Data Series, 1947 to 2026

**Date****Body****Text****Result (Yes-No-Abstain)****India**
29 Nov 1947General AssemblyRes. 181(II), partition plan33–13–10No \[1\]
11 May 1949General AssemblyRes. 273(III), admission of Israel37–12–9No \[2\]
10 Nov 1975General AssemblyRes. 3379(XXX), "Zionism is racism"72–35–32Yes \[3\]
16 Dec 1991General AssemblyRes. 46/86, revoking 3379111–25–13Yes \[4\]
3 Jul 2015Human Rights CouncilText on 2014 Gaza inquiry reportAdoptedAbstain \[5\]
21 Dec 2017General AssemblyES-10/19, status of Jerusalem128–9–35Yes \[6\]
6 Jun 2019ECOSOCIsraeli proposal to deny Shahed status28–14With Israel \[7\]
27 May 2021Human Rights CouncilCommission of inquiry on May 2021 conflict24–9–14Abstain \[8\]
30 Dec 2022General AssemblyRes. 77/247, ICJ opinion request87–26–53Abstain \[9\]
27 Oct 2023General AssemblyCanadian amendment condemning Hamas88–55–23 (failed)Yes \[10\]\[11\]
27 Oct 2023General AssemblyES-10/21, humanitarian truce121–14–44 (final)Abstain \[10\]\[11\]
12 Dec 2023General AssemblyES-10/22, humanitarian ceasefire153 in favourYes \[12\]
10 May 2024General AssemblyES-10/23, Palestinian UN membership143–9–25Yes \[13\]
18 Sep 2024General AssemblyES-10/24, 12-month withdrawal demand124–14–43Abstain \[14\]\[15\]
12 Jun 2025General AssemblySpanish-drafted ceasefire text149–12–19Abstain \[16\]
12 Sep 2025General AssemblyNew York Declaration, two-state solution142–10–12Yes \[17\]
Dec 2025General AssemblyUNRWA mandate renewal151–10–14Yes \[18\]
17 Sep 2026General AssemblyRes. 81/1, Palestinian participation152–3–4Yes \[19\]\[20\]

The table is not a census of every vote. The General Assembly adopts more than a dozen Palestine-related texts each year, and India has supported most of them across the whole period. The series records the votes that marked a turning point, tested India's position under pressure, or drew a public response from Israel or the Palestinian leadership. "Yes" and "No" refer to the resolution as drafted, not to Israel's position. A "Yes" on 46/86 in 1991 was a vote Israel also cast. A "Yes" on the 2017 Jerusalem text was a vote Israel opposed. Results are given as reported in the UN record or, where noted in the Sources, in press reporting of the official tally. Where a vote was corrected after the gavel, as on 27 October 2023, the corrected figure is shown. Human Rights Council and ECOSOC votes involve only member states of those bodies, so their totals are much smaller than Assembly totals. The pattern after 2014 is easiest to read by comparing the text being voted on with India's choice. Texts on Palestinian statehood and participation draw Indian support. Texts that seek inquiries, court referrals, or deadlines directed at Israel alone, or that omit Hamas, draw Indian abstention.

Phase One, 1947 to 1949: Opposition at the Founding

India served on the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine in 1947. With Iran and Yugoslavia, it formed the minority that recommended a single federal state with Jewish and Arab units instead of partition [21]. The Assembly set this minority plan aside and voted on partition. On 29 November 1947 the partition plan passed by 33 votes to 13, with 10 abstentions. India voted against it, together with Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and Yemen [1]. Eighteen months later the question was Israel's membership. On 11 May 1949 the Assembly admitted Israel by 37 votes to 12, with 9 abstentions. India again voted no. Burma, Ethiopia, Pakistan and the Arab members voted the same way, while the United States and the Soviet Union both voted yes [2]. India had itself just been partitioned in August 1947, and the new government in New Delhi opposed dividing territory on religious lines. One study of the period finds that India's policy toward Israel from 1948 to 1991 reflected its links with Arab states, its commitment to non-alignment, and the views of Indian Muslims [22]. Neither Indian vote prevented Israel's founding or its admission. The two votes set the starting point against which every later Indian vote is measured.

Phase Two, 1950 to 1992: Recognition, Repeal and Relations

India recognised Israel on 17 September 1950, sixteen months after voting against its admission [23]. Recognition did not bring an exchange of ambassadors. For four decades the relationship stayed at a limited consular level, and India's voting record in the Assembly followed the positions of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Arab Group. The clearest example came on 10 November 1975. The Assembly adopted Resolution 3379, which declared Zionism a form of racism and racial discrimination, by 72 votes to 35, with 32 abstentions. India voted yes. Israel voted no [3]. The resolution stood for sixteen years and was widely treated in Israel as a challenge to the legitimacy of the state. The reversal came at the end of the Cold War. On 16 December 1991 the Assembly adopted Resolution 46/86, a single sentence revoking the 1975 determination, by 111 votes to 25, with 13 abstentions. India voted yes, on the same side as Israel [4]. The vote came weeks after the Madrid peace conference opened. On 29 January 1992, forty-four days after the repeal vote, India and Israel established full diplomatic relations, and regular embassies opened that year [23]. On the same question, India's vote reversed completely within one generation. The repeal vote and the opening of embassies came in the same season and set the frame for the partnership that followed in defence, agriculture, water and technology.

Phase Three, 2014 to 2022: The Abstention Pattern Emerges

The first clear break in the old pattern came at the Human Rights Council on 3 July 2015. The Council adopted a resolution on the UN commission of inquiry into the 2014 Gaza conflict. India abstained, the first time it had declined to support such a text. The government tied its choice to the text's reference to the International Criminal Court, to which India is not a party, and its spokesman stated that India's support for the Palestinian cause was unchanged [5]. India's position remained independent of other governments. On 21 December 2017 the Assembly rejected the United States decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital by 128 votes to 9, with 35 abstentions. India voted with the majority. New Delhi had earlier said its stance would not be set by third countries [6]. On 6 June 2019 India voted with Israel for the first time on a contested UN question. At the Economic and Social Council, Israel proposed denying observer status to Shahed, a Lebanon-based Palestinian group that Israel said had undisclosed links to militant organisations. The proposal passed 28 to 14. Israel's deputy chief of mission in New Delhi publicly thanked India and said India had been the first Asian member to back the proposal [7]. India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that the vote should not be read as a vote against the Palestinian cause [24]. On 27 May 2021 the Human Rights Council voted 24 to 9, with 14 abstentions, to create a standing commission of inquiry after that month's fighting. The text was piloted by Pakistan. India abstained, and the Palestinian foreign minister wrote to India's External Affairs Minister to object [8]. On 30 December 2022 the Assembly asked the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on Israel's "prolonged occupation" by 87 votes to 26, with 53 abstentions. India abstained [9].

Phase Four, October 2023 to September 2026: War, Terrorism and Calibration

After the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, the Assembly met in emergency session. On 27 October it first voted on a Canadian amendment that would have condemned the Hamas attacks and the taking of hostages. The amendment failed, 88 to 55 with 23 abstentions, because it did not reach a two-thirds majority. The Assembly then adopted a Jordanian text calling for a humanitarian truce that did not name Hamas; the corrected tally was 121 to 14, with 44 abstentions [10]. India voted for the Canadian amendment and abstained on the Jordanian text. Its explanation of vote called for zero tolerance of terrorism [11]. India then voted yes on two texts. On 12 December 2023 it joined 153 states supporting a humanitarian ceasefire [12]. On 10 May 2024 it supported a resolution finding the State of Palestine qualified for full UN membership, adopted 143 to 9 with 25 abstentions [13]. On 18 September 2024 the Assembly demanded that Israel end its presence in the occupied territories within twelve months, by 124 votes to 14, with 43 abstentions [14]. India abstained [15]. On 12 June 2025 India again abstained on a Spanish-drafted text demanding an unconditional, permanent ceasefire, adopted 149 to 12 with 19 abstentions. India's Permanent Representative, Parvathaneni Harish, said that release of the hostages mattered alongside a ceasefire and that continuing accusations obstruct peace [16]. India voted yes on three later texts. On 12 September 2025 it supported the New York Declaration on a two-state solution, adopted 142 to 10 with 12 abstentions; Israel and the United States voted against [17]. In December 2025 it voted to renew UNRWA's mandate for three years; Israel voted against, citing the agency's links to Hamas [18]. On 17 September 2026 the Assembly allowed the Palestinian president to address its 81st session by video after the United States denied visas. The vote was 152 to 3, with only the United States, Israel and Paraguay against and four Latin American states abstaining [19]. Indian reporting records India's vote as yes [20]. Since October 2023, India has abstained on three Assembly texts that set demands on Israel without naming Hamas, and has supported texts on Palestinian statehood and participation.

In One Paragraph

India opposed the 1947 partition plan and Israel's 1949 admission to the United Nations, recognised Israel in 1950, and opened full diplomatic relations only in January 1992. It voted in 1975 to call Zionism racism and in 1991 to revoke that finding. From 2015 it began abstaining on texts that pursued Israel through inquiries, court referrals and deadlines. In 2019 it voted with Israel at ECOSOC, and in 2023 it supported an amendment condemning Hamas. India continues to vote for most texts supporting Palestinian statehood, including the 2025 two-state declaration and the 2026 Palestinian participation resolution. The overall record moves from early opposition to a selective pattern of abstention that sits alongside a close bilateral partnership.

Sources

  1. United Nations General Assembly. “Future Government of Palestine.” Resolution 181 (II), A/RES/181(II), 29 November 1947. UN Digital Library.https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/671195.
  2. United Nations General Assembly. “Admission of Israel to Membership in the United Nations.” Resolution 273 (III), A/RES/273(III), 11 May 1949. UN Digital Library.https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/671023.
  3. United Nations General Assembly. “Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.” Resolution 3379 (XXX), A/RES/3379(XXX), 10 November 1975. UN Digital Library.https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/650324.
  4. United Nations General Assembly. “Elimination of Racism and Racial Discrimination.” Resolution 46/86, A/RES/46/86, 16 December 1991. UN Digital Library.https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/282543.
  5. “In Historic Shift, India Abstains from United Nations Vote Condemning Israel.” Tablet, July 2015.https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/in-historic-shift-india-abstains-from-united-nations-vote-condemning-israel.
  6. Reuters. “India Joins Majority in UN to Vote Against US Move on Jerusalem.” The Quint, 21 December 2017.https://www.thequint.com/amp/story/news/world/defying-us-countries-vote-favor-un-jerusalem-resolution.
  7. “In a First, India Votes in Favour of Israel at UN Against Palestine Human Rights Body.” ThePrint, June 2019.https://theprint.in/diplomacy/in-a-first-india-votes-in-favour-of-israel-at-un-against-palestine-human-rights-body/248543/.
  8. Bhaumik, Anirban. “India Abstains from Voting Against Israel at UNHRC.” Deccan Herald, 28 May 2021.https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/world%2Findia-abstains-from-voting-against-israel-at-unhrc-990902.html.
  9. United Nations General Assembly. “Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem.” Resolution 77/247, A/RES/77/247, 30 December 2022. UN Digital Library.https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3999158.
  10. United Nations. “General Assembly Adopts Resolution Calling for Immediate, Sustained Humanitarian Truce Leading to Cessation of Hostilities between Israel, Hamas.” Press release GA/12548, 27 October 2023.https://press.un.org/en/2023/ga12548.doc.htm.
  11. “UNGA Meet: India Abstains from Vote on Gaza Ceasefire.” The Tribune, October 2023.https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/unga-meet-india-abstains-from-vote-on-gaza-ceasefire-557408.
  12. “India Abstains from Voting on UN Resolution Demanding Gaza Ceasefire.” Scroll.in, 13 June 2025.https://scroll.in/latest/1083472/india-abstains-from-voting-on-un-resolution-demanding-gaza-ceasefire.
  13. “India Votes in Favour of Draft Resolution Supporting Palestine’s Bid to Become Full Member of United Nations.” News On AIR, All India Radio, 11 May 2024.https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-votes-in-favour-of-draft-resolution-supporting-palestines-bid-to-become-full-member-of-united-nations/.
  14. United Nations. “General Assembly Overwhelmingly Adopts Historic Text Demanding Israel End Its Unlawful Presence, Policies in Occupied Palestinian Territory within 1 Year.” Press release GA/12626, 18 September 2024.https://www.un.org/unispal/document/un-ga-press-release-18sep24/.
  15. “Why India Broke Its Abstention Run on Palestine and Backed a UN Resolution.” The Tribune, September 2025.https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/explainers/why-india-broke-its-abstention-run-on-palestine-and-backed-a-un-resolution.
  16. Press Trust of India. “India Abstains from Voting on Gaza Truce Resolution at UN.” The Tribune, 13 June 2025.https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/india-abstains-from-voting-on-gaza-truce-resolution-at-un.
  17. “India Votes in Favour of UN Resolution Backing Two-State Solution for Palestine.” News On AIR, All India Radio, 13 September 2025.https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-votes-in-favour-of-un-resolution-backing-two-state-solution-for-palestine.
  18. “India Votes in Favour of UNGA Resolution Renewing UNRWA Mandate for Three Years.” News On AIR, All India Radio, 7 December 2025.https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-votes-in-favour-of-unga-resolution-renewing-unrwa-mandate-for-three-years/.
  19. United Nations. “General Assembly Adopts Resolution Allowing State of Palestine to Participate Virtually in High-level Debate.” Press release GA/12784, 17 September 2026.https://press.un.org/en/2026/ga12784.doc.htm.
  20. United Nations General Assembly. “Participation by the State of Palestine during the eighty-first session.” Resolution 81/1, A/RES/81/1, adopted 17 September 2026. UNISPAL.https://www.un.org/unispal/document/general-assembly-resolution-participation-by-the-state-of-palestine-during-the-eighty-first-session-a-res-81-1/.
  21. Imseis, Ardi. “The United Nations Plan of Partition Revisited: On the Origins of Palestine’s International Legal Subalternity.” Stanford Journal of International Law 57, no. 1 (2021). Author’s copy, Queen’s University Faculty of Law. Section III.B, “Resolution 181(II): Its Terms.”https://law.queensu.ca/sites/lawwww/files/files/Professors/UN%20Plan%20of%20Partition%20Revisited.pdf.
  22. Gerberg, Itzhak. India-Israel Relations: Strategic Interests, Politics and Diplomatic Pragmatism. Haifa: University of Haifa, c. 2009, 45.https://ch-strategy.hevra.haifa.ac.il/fullbooks/20090616/files/assets/basic-html/page-45.html.
  23. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. “India-Israel Bilateral Relations.” Embassy of India, Tel Aviv, n.d. Section “Overview of political relations.”https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/EOI_TELAVIV_BILATERAL_BRIEF2.pdf.
  24. Press Trust of India. “India’s Vote Against NGO Not Linked with Palestinian Cause: MEA.” Business Standard, 20 June 2019.https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/india-s-vote-against-ngo-not-linked-with-palestinian-cause-mea-119062001064_1.html.