Title: The BRICS Nations Approach the Palestine Issue
The political alliance BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has recently publicly addressed the concern of Palestinian statehood, voicing their outstanding support for a two-state solution in accordance with international law and the United Nations resolutions.
BRICS, which represents nearly half the world’s population and spans four different continents, has immense geopolitical influence. Accordingly, its collective stance on Palestine holds significant global weight.
Presiding over the recent BRICS meeting was Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Reaffirming the commitment of the member countries, he emphasized that they support an independent, prosperous, and viable Palestine coexisting peacefully with Israel, as endorsed by several UN resolutions.
The group reiterated their call for resuming direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis to address final status issues and meet the legitimate aspirations of both parties. By bringing these negotiations back on the agenda, BRICS hopes to find a two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.
Moreover, the foreign ministers of BRICS nations expressed concerns over unilateral actions that can further complicate the already perilous situation, including the issue of Israeli settlements and forced displacements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The collective support from BRICS for the Palestinian cause, while not new, has been exerted more firmly now amid the recent conflicts between Israel and Palestine. Notably, the differing individual stances of the BRICS nations on this issue reveal the complexities of their alliance.
Long-standing political ties have led Russia and China to consistently back Palestinian rights. On the other hand, pragmatic considerations shape India’s stance, as it sustains relations with both Israel and Palestine. Similarly, Brazil has swung between supporting both sides based on the respective governments’ preferences, while South Africa, with its anti-apartheid legacy, remains a staunch supporter of Palestine.
Given the BRICS nations’ emerging role in world affairs, their concerted stance on the Israel-Palestine issue is worth noting. While comprehensive peace still seems a distant aspiration, BRICS’s unified commitment to a two-state solution displays their active engagement in addressing global challenges.
