Anti-Israel rallies continue

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)