Opinions divided on plan to open up trade with Israel<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government's intention to open trade
\nrelations with Israel continued to provoke mixed responses on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
More than a 100 University of Indonesia students and 150
\nMuslim youths staged a demonstration on Thursday at the House of
\nRepresentatives to protest against the government's foreign
\npolicy.<\/p>\n
They yelled anti-Israeli slogans and carried banners
\nhighlighting Israeli human rights abuses on Palestinian people.
\nThey also burned Israeli flags.<\/p>\n
The protesters urged the House to press the government to drop
\nits plan.<\/p>\n
One of the demonstrators, Ardju, said students and Muslim
\nyouths will oppose attempts to open any ties with Israel as long
\nas the Jewish state does not respect the rights the of
\nPalestinians.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia must avoid any ties with Israel because that
\ncountry is widely known as an aggressor and human rights
\nviolator. Trading with that country will be a betrayal to Muslim
\npeople,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) also opposed
\nthe government's policy, and urged the government to cancel it
\nfor the sake of the country's ties with Palestine.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman Wahid and Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab
\nhave said trade relations with Israel will attract Jewish
\ncompanies in the United States to invest in Indonesia, and
\nstrengthen Palestine's peace negotiations with that country.<\/p>\n
In a separate rally the Ummat Protection Front (FPU) demanded
\non Thursday that the government cancel its plan because the
\nJewish people had illegally occupied Palestinian land.<\/p>\n
\"The government's plan is against Islamic principles,\" FPU
\nChairman Muhammad Al-Khatath said.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, hundreds of students from the
\nIndonesian Muslim Students Front (KAMMI) took to the streets to
\nprotest the government's policy on Israel.<\/p>\n
They said the foreign policy would hurt Indonesian Muslims and
\nPalestinians, who have long fought for freedom. \"Israel always
\ncheats us and thus we cannot trust them,\" the protesters yelled.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) said the
\nCatholic church always gives moral support to any kind of
\nrelation with any country in the world, as long as it will
\nbenefit Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"We do not see any theological obstacle to Indonesia's plan to
\nopen trade ties with Israel,\" KWI chairman Bishop Yosef Suwatan
\ntold reporters on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Yosef said if opening relations will benefit the country, the
\nchurch will support the government. (04\/43\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/opinions-divided-on-plan-to-open-up-trade-with-israel-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}