Gus Dur wonders why so much fuss over Israel visit

Gus Dur wonders why so much fuss over Israel visit

SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): The chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU), Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, Abdurrahman
Wahid, stressed here yesterday that there is no reason to prevent
him from visiting Israel.

He expressed confusion as to why certain parties in Indonesia
deplored his recent visit to that country.

His visit late last month together with two other Moslem
scholars, Djohan Effendy and Habib Chirzin, incited both
criticism and praise from various parties.

"I don't know why they deplored this. I went to Israel just to
attend a seminar and not a single person has the right to stop
someone from attending a seminar," he said.

He explained that his visit had nothing to do with politics.
"I just fulfilled an invitation to take part in a seminar in that
country," he said.

He added that the seminar discussed how the Moslems and Jews
responded to contemporary challenges against modernization and to
the search for self-identification and community lives.

The application of religious teachings, especially ties
between religions and states, was also discussed, he said.

Gus Dur denied reports saying that he proposed the opening of
diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel. "I just said
that we are now beginning to think about anticipating possible
diplomatic ties between the two countries. So the possibility
will emerge by itself," he said.

"I just say why don't we try to think about it now. How to
make it smooth," he said, adding that the betterment of relations
between Arab countries and Israel is just a matter of time.

"If Yasser Arafat has signed an agreement with Yitzhak Rabin,
King Hussein of Jordan has also done the same thing and others
will likely follow suit, what will we do now?" he asked.

If those related parties have said that they have stopped
warring with Israel, it is no longer practical for us in
Indonesia to talk about Israel again and again, he said.

Therefore it is already time for Indonesia to think about how
to anticipate the possibility of diplomatic ties with Israel, he
added.

Re-election

Gus Dur was quoted by the Kompas daily as saying on Monday
that he is ready to be re-elected to the leadership of the NU
organization.

Gus Dur told reporters on Monday that he is ready to keep the
NU chairmanship as long as a NU provincial branch nominates him.

The new chairman of NU will be elected during the
organization's next congress, which will be held in the West Java
town of Tasikmalaya in December. The congress will also elect new
members of its executive board.

Mathori Abdul Jalil, the former secretary-general of the
United Development Party, said yesterday in Semarang that Gus
Dur's recent visit to Israel will not affect his chances of
keeping the chairmanship of NU.

"Gus Dur would do nothing, neither by statements nor actions,
to harm this country or NU. His visit was based on Indonesia's
foreign policy of a free and active stance," Mathori was quoted
by Antara news agency as saying.

Mathori also said that the visit should not be interpreted as
Gus Dur's move to enter the national political arena, but should
be seen as his effort to maintain the orderliness in the world,
an idea which is also stipulated in the 1945 Constitution.
(har/mas/hhr)