Govt urged to consider relations with Israel
JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama organization and a controversial politician, has said that the time has come for Indonesia to consider diplomatic relations with Israel.
He said a new stance is more relevant now that several Arab countries have signed peace accords with the Jewish state.
"Following the improved relationship between Israel and Arab countries, such ties are necessary for the future," he told the press over the weekend. Abdurrahman was briefing newsmen on his recent visits to Israel, the Netherlands and Italy.
While in the Middle East, Abdurrahman and two other Indonesian scholars also attended the signing of the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan on Oct. 26 at the invitation of the Israeli government, Antara news agency reported.
Also with him, according to an earlier report, were Djohan Effendy, a senior research specialist with the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Jakarta and Habib Chirzin, head of the foreign relations department of Muhammadiyah, an influential Moslem socio-educational organization.
The Council of Ulemas and other Moslem organizations have condemned the visit. In February Moslem groups also condemned four journalists for visiting Israel.
Abdurrahman, who heads a large organization of traditional ulemas (NU), added that in anticipating the future Indonesia should pay attention to all angles which have not been covered by the Arab-Israeli peace accords in the interest of its own foreign policy.
The need is more pressing because Indonesia now leads the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM), he said as quoted by the news agency.
"Some members of the Movement already have interests with Israel," he added.
Indonesia, Abdurrahman said, has never had any problem with Israel. "The absence of diplomatic relations with it has been caused by the global political situation which included the Arab- Israeli enmity."
Abdurrahman said the situation has motivated Indonesia to defend the Arab countries against Israel thus portraying Jakarta as having problems with the Israelis.
"I hope Indonesia will open itself to Israel," he said.
Reaction
Abdurrahman's idea was flatly rejected by Aisyah Amini, chairwoman of the Commission I (for foreign affairs, security and defense) in the House of Representatives, yesterday, by saying that "it is premature."
Aisyah said Abdurrahman's idea is also out of sync with our national interest. Israel, she told The Jakarta Post, should solve the Palestinian problem comprehensively first.
The chairwoman said she had not seen Israel as very sincere in this case. "It has handled the crisis half-heartedly," she said.
"What we should do now is to push Israel to grant the Palestinians, whom it has driven away from their homeland, a sovereign state."
According to Aisyah, there is nothing wrong with Israel concluding peace agreements with its neighbors in an effort to bring peace to the region.
"But to think that the Israeli step has solved the whole Palestinian crisis is completely erroneous."
The chairwoman reminded the people here that Indonesian support for the Palestinians is based on the preamble of the Constitution which stipulates that every nation has the right for independence.
"And the Palestinians still have to fight for theirs," Aisyah said
Meanwhile, Muhammadiyah, the country's largest Moslem reformist movement, has dissociated itself from Habib Chizrin's participation in the Israeli visit.
In a statement issued here on Saturday Muhammadiyah said it had not been informed about his activities.
The statement said Muhammadiyah would soon reprimand Habib, who was once a leader of the organization's youth wing. (tis)