Helping the Palestinians while there's still a mess at home

Kornelius Purba Jerusalem

What is the relation between the Acehnese and the Palestinians?

"Look at the TV news. Then you can talk about the injustices faced by the Palestinians," an Israeli national bluntly replied when asked by an Indonesian about the human rights abuses committed by the Israelis against the Palestinians during a conversation in Galilee. At that time, in its breaking news briefs, the BBC quoted Amnesty International as urging Indonesia to stop human rights abuses in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

What was probably on the tip of the Israeli man's tongue was: "Mind your own business. Clean up your own home before you clean up others." Needless to say, the conversation ran its course and the curious Indonesian fled, red-faced.

To a certain extent, his opinion was right. The Acehnese, nearly all of whom are devout Muslims -- have suffered for decades under the oppression of the central government which, in the name of maintaining the territorial integrity of Indonesia, brutally oppressed those in the province who demanded justice. But who cares about them? Probably, if the same question was raised to a Palestinian, he would similarly reply, "By stopping the abuses against the Acehnese, your nation, and also yourself, you are indirectly helping us, the Palestinians."

When we were about to arrive at the Mount of Olives, just behind the Old City in East Jerusalem and at the Garden of Getshemane, the tour guide and the bus driver repeatedly warned,"Be careful of Palestinian pickpockets!" The guide then explained that it was highly likely that the Israeli police allowed the pickpockets free rein, "because it will tarnish the image of Palestinians, and they could also use them as their spies."

However, the guide -- an European national with 12 years of experience in Israel -- also insisted that pilgrims shop in Bethlehem rather than Jerusalem. "The Palestinians suffer as the tourist industry has faltered since 2000. Your money is very precious to the Palestinians at this difficult time." In Jericho -- which along with Bethlehem belongs to Palestine, but is strongly controlled by the Israeli military -- a restaurant owner said we were his first guests in nearly a year.

As the world is haunted by terrorist attacks, particularly since the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, the number of tourists to the Holy Land has sharply declined.

Of course, it would be ridiculous of an ordinary pilgrim -- who was in town for a week and knows little about the history of the Middle East -- to make hasty judgments over the very complicated Israeli-Palestinian relations.

But by witnessing, as an outsider, the living conditions of the Palestinians in the West Bank area, and Jerusalem -- and the way the Israeli security forces treat them in the streets -- it is difficult to deny the suffering of the Palestinians under Israeli oppression. For outsiders, even those with no knowledge of the Holy Land, the oppression of the Palestinians is a human rights abuse.

Although we are often told that the Palestinian issue is nothing to do with religion and, therefore, Indonesian Muslims should not view the issue with prejudice, according to statistics most Palestinians are Muslims. So, how can we deny the strong feeling among Muslims, including in Indonesia, that their Muslim brothers and sisters are oppressed in Palestine? It is also difficult to understand, in terms of common sense and justice, why the United States barely acts to stop these human rights abuses?

Palestinian leaders, like Yasser Arafat, have often reiterated that there is no war between Islam and Judaism. That they are struggling for their independence, and that Palestine is likely quite secular. But when Muslims here, or elsewhere in the world, routinely see TV reports on the fate of the Palestinians, how can solidarity in the interest of the Palestinian be discouraged? For many Indonesians, Americans are very vocal when it comes to human rights violations in East Timor, Papua or in Aceh, but very often turn a blind eye when the Israelis abuse Palestinians.

Again, of course, this does not mean that Palestine is totally the innocent side and that Israel should take all the responsibility for what has happened, and will continue to happen, with the Palestinians. Israel has the right to defend its existence. Israelis also continue to be the victims of terrorists attacks.

This article is not meant to argue along those lines, but seeks to ask why so many young Indonesian Muslims feel strongly attached to the Palestinians.

The U.S.'s imbalanced policy has not only triggered anti- American feeling in Indonesia, and becomes a fertilizer for the growth of radicalism, but also affected Christians here. For many ordinary Muslims in Indonesia, Christians are perceived as pro-Israel, although, Judaism teaches that Jesus Christ is yet to come! Christ's presence on earth is still awaited, as Jews believe that the man who was crucified was a pretender, who claimed to be the Son of God!

As with the Israelis, the Palestinians also have the right to live in a sovereign state. Our Constitution requires Indonesia to help liberate any nation that is oppressed or suffers under colonialism. Not just Muslims, but non-Muslim Indonesians are supportive of the struggle of the Palestinians to achieve full independence.

But while our own home is still a mess, and the state has a long way to go before it can protect its own citizens, why should the outside world listen to our defense of another nation?

This does not mean that we should hesitate in our efforts to help the Palestinians, as we shudder at the memory of that disarray back home. But it would really be something if we could be upright defenders, with nothing to hide.

The author is a staff writer for The Jakarta Post. He visited Israel in October and can be reached purba@thejakartapost.com.