Key Points

Speaking to ANI, Shiloh emphasised India's capacity to facilitate dialogue among Abraham Accords countries and other regional players, adding that India can leverage its influence as a 'superpower' and fair mediator to push for peace.

He said that India can assist parties in deterring sabotage efforts against peace initiatives.

"India can speak with all the countries that are part of the Abraham Accords or with countries that are not yet in the Abraham Accords and other regional players. India can use its influence as a superpower and as a fair and honest mediator to push forward the Abraham Accords and, of course, to join forces and to participate in deterring the parties," he said.

This comes amid an emergency summit of Arab and Islamic country leaders held in Doha, which has condemned Israel's "cowardly" attack on Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, but the participants made no promises of concrete action.

The emergency summit was organised after fury swept the region following Israeli strikes on September 9, which killed six people.

Shiloh advocated for promoting and expanding the accords to achieve Middle East peace and prosperity.

He said, "Well, surely it's something that will end someday, hopefully soon. The most important thing is to move forward towards peace and prosperity in the Middle East by promoting it through the expansion of the Abraham Accords. We are now celebrating five years of the Abraham Accords. Of course, we have to find a way to promote them and to expand them and India has a potential role in assisting the parties in doing so."

The Abraham Accords represent a significant diplomatic development between Israel and Arab states.

The Abraham Accords represent a historic agreement between Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, first announced on August 13, 2020. The term also covers the subsequent agreements involving Bahrain, alongside Israel and the UAE, aimed at normalising diplomatic relations.

The official signing took place on September 15, 2020, with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as signatories. Following this, the UAE appointed its first ambassador to Israel, Mohammed Al Khaja, who arrived on March 1, 2021.

The name "Abraham Accords" symbolises the shared reverence for the patriarch Abraham, regarded as a prophet in both Judaism and Islam, reflecting the spirit of interfaith recognition behind the agreements.

They established formal diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The accords signalled a major realignment in regional politics, as Arab states moved towards open cooperation with Israel after decades of strained relations.

The Abraham Accords provide India with much-needed diplomatic space to engage both Israel and Arab states without appearing tilted towards either side. This helps reduce earlier frictions in balancing ties.

With Israel and Arab nations opening up to collaboration, India can strengthen partnerships in trade, investments, energy, defence, and technology. These accords create fresh opportunities for multi-sectoral cooperation.

Overall, the agreements work in India's favour by easing its diplomatic challenges in West Asia. They allow India to deepen ties with both blocs while safeguarding its strategic and economic interests in the region.

Shiloh views labelling Israel-Gaza tensions as 'genocide' as propaganda, stressing fact-checking before allegations.

"Well, these reports are definitely not based on facts; they are mostly propaganda, and some media and politicians just tend to quote publications and allegations without checking the facts. Of course, there is a military conflict, but jumping from here to define this genocide is not fair, and it's not the truth. All parties should undergo a fact-checking process before they make allegations," he said.

He urged all parties to fact-check before making allegations amid military conflicts.

- ANI