No ties with Israel, Gus Dur tells Arab envoys<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid assured Arab nations
\non Monday that Indonesia would not open diplomatic ties with
\nIsrael until Palestinians gained independence in their homeland.<\/p>\n
Palestine Ambassador Ribhi Y. Awad told reporters he received
\nassurances from the new President that there would be no
\nimmediate change in Indonesia's foreign policy toward Israel.<\/p>\n
Awad was among 16 Arab envoys who met with Gus Dur, as the
\nPresident is popularly known, at the presidential palace.<\/p>\n
The other envoys represented Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon, Algeria,
\nTunisia, Iraq, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia,
\nUnited Arab Emirates, Qatar, Libya and Syria.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman promised Indonesia would not establish diplomatic
\nties with Israel until the establishment of an independent
\nPalestine state with Jerusalem as its capital, Awad said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia also made the return of all Arab territories
\ncurrently occupied by Israel, including the Golan Heights, and
\nthe release of all Palestinian prisoners preconditions to the
\nopening of ties with the Jewish state, he said.<\/p>\n
"We from Arab countries are happy and grateful for the
\nreiteration by the Indonesian government of its continuation of
\nthe policy of the previous government," the ambassador said.<\/p>\n
In the past, Abdurrahman publicly advocated establishing
\ndiplomatic ties with Israel, saying that Indonesia had even
\nlarger ideological differences with China, with whom it had a
\nstrong diplomatic relationship.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman also once traveled to the Jewish state and
\naccepted a seat in the Simon Peres Institute, an organization
\nwhich aims to promote world peace and harmony.<\/p>\n
The President stated on Sunday his new government had no
\nimmediate plans to open diplomatic ties with Israel, but he said
\nthe two countries could begin exchanging trade missions.<\/p>\n
When asked whether economic and trade ties with Israel also
\nwere discussed at the meeting, Awad said: "I don't wish to
\nelaborate on the matter. What is clear is that Gus Dur stated
\nIndonesia's unchanged position with regard to ties with Israel."<\/p>\n
Indonesia did not follow the lead of most Arab nations and
\nestablish diplomatic ties with Israel following a historic 1993
\nagreement which was seen as paving the way for peace in the
\nMiddle East.<\/p>\n
Then Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin visited Jakarta in
\n1993 for talks with president Soeharto, but there was no follow-
\nup to the meeting. Soeharto met Rabin more in his capacity as
\nchairman of the Non-Aligned Movement than as Indonesia's head of
\nstate.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has stated that diplomatic ties with Israel are
\nimpossible until the Jewish state complies with all United
\nNations resolutions on the conflict in the Middle East, including
\nthe return of all Arab land held by Israel.<\/p>\n
Awad said Arab nations praised the Indonesian government for
\nsupporting the struggle of the Palestinian people to win their
\npolitical rights.<\/p>\n
They also hailed Abdurrahman's support for Lebanon's struggle
\nto free its southern territory from occupation by Israel, and
\nSyria's effort to regain the Golan Heights.<\/p>\n
He said Islam created a strong bond and sense of brotherhood
\nbetween Arab nations and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Such solidarity must not simply be stated in sweet words and
\nexpressions, but also implemented through cooperation in all
\nfields, including economics, he said.<\/p>\n
Awad expressed hope the friendship between Indonesia and Arab
\nnations would continue to grow and flourish under President
\nAbdurrahman. (prb\/emb)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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