Govt urged to consider relations with Israel
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)