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Ex-diplomat on NYT Pegasus Report Citing Indiaโ€™s UN Vote Says, Its Utter Rubbish

New Delhi: Indiaโ€™s former permanent representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin on Saturday dismissed as โ€œutter rubbishโ€ the โ€œinsinuationโ€ in a New York Times report which cited Indiaโ€™s 2019 vote in support of Israel at the UNโ€™s Economic and Social Council to highlight deepening of ties after a deal that included sale of the Israeli spyware Pegasus.

Tagging a tweet on the NYT report, Mr Akbaruddin, who was Indiaโ€™s Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 2016-2020, said, โ€œThe insinuation about Indiaโ€™s UN vote is utter rubbishโ€ฆโ€

The media report said the Israeli spyware Pegasus and a missile system were the โ€œcenterpiecesโ€ of a roughly $2 billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between India and Israel in 2017. It also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modiโ€™s visit to Israel in July 2017 โ€“ to become the first Indian prime minister to visit the country.

โ€œFor decades, India had maintained a policy of what it called โ€˜commitment to the Palestinian causeโ€™, and relations with Israel were frosty. The Modi visit, however, was notably cordial, complete with a carefully staged moment of him and (then Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu walking together barefoot on a local beach,โ€ it said.

โ€œThey had reason for the warm feelings. Their countries had agreed on the sale of a package of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear worth roughly USD 2 billion โ€” with Pegasus and a missile system as the centerpieces,โ€ the report said.

โ€œMonths later, Netanyahu made a rare state visit to India. And in June 2019, India voted in support of Israel at the UNโ€™s Economic and Social Council to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organisation, a first for the nation,โ€ the report said.

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