Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – India is weighing dropping its pro-Palestinian stance at the United Nations.

“Like other foreign policy issues, the [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi government is looking at India’s voting record at the United Nations on the Palestinian issue,” a government source told The Hindu, an Indian daily newspaper, adding that the U.N. policy change only needs an “administrative nod.”

The report indicates that India would shift from voting for the Palestinian cause to one of abstention. India and Israel have enjoyed increasingly close military and economic cooperation over the past two decades. With the election of Modi earlier this year, many speculated that Israel-India ties would grow due to Modi’s personal and business ties with the Jewish state, dating to his time as chief minister of one of India’s wealthiest and industrialized states.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Modi met for the first time last September on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York to discuss bilateral ties and Iran’s nuclear program. Last week, Modi also sent out Hanukkah greetings to his “Jewish friends” via his Twitter account.

“May this Festival of Lights and the festive season ring in peace, hope, and well-being for all,” Modi wrote.

The move by India comes as the Palestinians have indicated their intent to push for unilateral statehood recognition in several international bodies. At the same time, several of Israel’s long-standing allies in Europe have passed non-binding legislative resolutions calling for recognition of Palestinian statehood.