New Delhi: India's move to soften the language regarding Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon, fuelling disagreements over language on the West Asian conflict, prevented a joint statement at a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers’ deputies and special representatives. As per reports, India’s push to dilute references to Israel and Palestine was unexpected and triggered resistance from other member states.
The meeting saw extensive discussions on the ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon, but efforts to arrive at a common position broke down during negotiations over the draft communiqué. According to participants, Indian officials sought to soften language critical of Israel’s military actions, including airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon, and proposed removing references to “East Jerusalem” as the capital of a future Palestinian state under the two-state framework.
India’s proposed changes also included replacing direct mentions of Israel in critical contexts with more general terms such as “occupying power,” a move that drew objections from other BRICS members. Diplomats involved in the discussions indicated that these alterations marked a departure from previously agreed language used in earlier summits.
In particular, attempts were made to modify sections drawn from past BRICS declarations, including those adopted at the 2025 summit in Brasília and the 2024 summit in Kazan. Several representatives expressed surprise at India’s position, noting that the country had earlier endorsed similar formulations in multilateral forums.
The disagreement reflects a broader shift in India’s diplomatic approach, especially in its handling of references to Palestinian statehood. Officials indicated that India has increasingly avoided explicitly mentioning East Jerusalem in recent bilateral statements, signalling a recalibration of its position on the issue.
This shift was also evident during the India–Arab League summit held in New Delhi in January 2026, where similar changes were incorporated into the official language. The latest deadlock within BRICS highlights the growing difficulty in forging consensus on sensitive geopolitical issues, particularly as member states adopt diverging positions on the West Asian conflict.