Anti-Israel rallies continue

SEMARANG: A group of students from the Indonesian Muslim Student Action Front (KAMMI) protested here on Monday the government's plan to establish economic ties with Israel.

The students marched from Diponegoro University to the provincial legislative council, waving banners and yelling slogans condemning what they called Israel's human rights violations.

"The United Nations resolution which obliges Israel to return Palestinian land was ignored, so why bother having any relationship with Israel," rally coordinator Muhammad Arifin said.

The protesters said President Abdurrahman Wahid's plan to establish ties with the Jewish state was contrary to the 1945 Constitution. "Opening ties with Israel would signal our acceptance of Israel's colonialism in Palestine," Muhammad said.

In Medan, North Sumatra, hundreds of students and activists from the Anti-Israel Zionist Community Forum staged a similar protest at the provincial legislature. Also at the protest were activists from KAMMI and the Association of Muslim Students.

"We demand that legislators exercise their right to question Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab over the controversial policy," protest leader Alisyahputra Harahap said. Several local ulema took part in the rally. (39/har/edt)