Hassan told to explain meeting with Shalom

Hassan told to explain meeting with Shalom

Tiarma Siboro and Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A reported meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan
Wirayuda and his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom could spark
controversy at home, though there are no indications Indonesia
plans to open diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.

The talks reportedly took place in New York ahead of the
United Nations General Assembly. However, Israeli and Indonesian
government officials, including Indonesian State Secretary Yusril
Ihza Mahendra, would not confirm or deny the meeting.

"I guess the issues discussed at the secret meeting focused on
the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. Nothing
more, nothing less," Riza Sihbudi, an expert on the Middle East
at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said on Thursday.

"I am not sure the Indonesian government will open diplomatic
ties with Israel, unless the latter recognizes an independent
Palestine state," he said.

Riza pointed to political deals between President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and several Islamic political parties ahead of
the second round of the presidential election last September, in
which he promised to support an independent Palestinian state
and to pursue all peaceful means to settle the Middle East
conflict.

A legislator from the National Mandate Party (PAN), Abdillah
Toha, urged Hassan to publicly explain his meeting with Shalom.

"Middle East issues are very sensitive for Indonesians. If the
meeting contributes to the peace process between Israel and the
Palestinians, that will be good," Abdillah said.

Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, does not have
diplomatic ties with Israel and regularly issues statements in
support of the Palestinian cause.

Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid raised the
possibility of establishing ties with Israel during his
administration, but backed down in the face of strong criticism.

Before leaving for New York, Hassan stressed that Jakarta
would not establish diplomatic ties with Israel without a peace
deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Another legislator, Amris Hassan from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said he would ask Hassan if
the meeting was planned or if the two foreign ministers ran into
each other by accident.

"We are the world's largest Muslim nation. It is quite
important for Israel to lobby us with regard to issues in the
Middle East.

"Of course, I have not come to the conclusion that the
government has begun to change its political stance on the
Israel-Palestine issue. But if it has, then the government has
violated the Constitution because our country must never have
political ties with aggressors," Amris said.

He also warned of possible negative reactions from Islamic
countries if Indonesia moved too close to Israel.

However, Riza said it was common in international diplomacy
for countries with no diplomatic ties to hold secret meetings.

"Former president Soeharto met twice with former Israeli prime
minister the late Yitzak Rabbin. The first time was in Jakarta
and the second was in New York. But the two meetings did not
result in the opening of diplomatic ties between Israel and
Indonesia.

"If Soeharto -- who was an autocratic -- honored the demand of
the majority of Muslims in the country (not to open ties with
Israel), I believe that President Susilo will do likewise," Riza
said.