Insinuation about India's UN vote 'utter rubbish': Ex-Indian envoy to UN on NYT report

India's former permanent representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin on Saturday dismissed as ''utter rubbish'' the ''insinuation'' in a New York Times report which cited India's 2019 vote in support of Israel at the UN'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, Akbaruddin, who was India's Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 2016-2020, said, ''The insinuation about India's UN vote is utter rubbish…'' The media report said the Israeli spyware Pegasus and a missile system were the ''centerpieces'' of a roughly USD 2 billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between India and Israel in 2017.

It also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel in July 2017 - to become the first Indian prime minister to visit the country.

''For decades, India had maintained a policy of what it called 'commitment to the Palestinian cause', 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,'' it said.

''They 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 -- with Pegasus and a missile system as the centerpieces. ''Months later, Netanyahu made a rare state visit to India. And in June 2019, India voted in support of Israel at the UN's Economic and Social Council to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organisation, a first for the nation,'' the report said.