Indonesia exercises caution amid talks of links with Israel
Indonesia exercises caution amid talks of links with Israel
Sebastien Blanc, Agence France-Presse/Jakarta
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, welcomed the
historic pullout of Israel from the Gaza Strip and foreign
ministers from the two countries held a discreet meeting recently
in New York.
Does this mean Indonesia is ready to bridge the gap with the
Jewish state?
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on Monday urged Muslim
leaders to bring their growing contacts with Israel "out into the
light of day".
Shalom's comments came after he met for the first time with
his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda during the UN summit
in New York. But Wirayuda said there was no chance of Jakarta
recognizing Israel before a Palestinian state is created.
The Israeli government is trying to harvest diplomatic rewards
after its landmark withdrawal from occupied Gaza. Indonesia, like
Turkey, offers the advantage of being a large democracy run by
moderate Muslim leaders, with almost 90 percent of its 220
million people following moderate Islam.
Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has regularly
issued statements of support for the Palestinian cause. The
government in Jakarta expressed sorrow at the death of
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and hailed him as a hero.
Anti-Israeli protests by Muslim activists often take place in
the capital and other Indonesian cities, especially to condemn
Israeli violence and attacks on Palestinians.
According to Taufik Abdullah, from the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences, neither public opinion nor Muslim leaders in Indonesia
are ready to talk about engaging with Israel.
"Our leaders do not want to hurt the feelings of the Arabs,"
he said. "When Indonesia launched its revolution in 1945 (against
the Dutch colonialists), it was the Arab countries like Egypt or
Syria which first gave their support."
Although the current situation is different, he said: "The
Arab countries need a mediator (with Israel) and Indonesia could
be a mediator."
Among top Indonesian political figures, former president
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid said he was in favor of opening
relations with Israel, and was very much criticized for the
suggestion.
Nevertheless, Gus Dur remains influential in the vast
archipelago, even if he is no longer leader of the Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU), the world's largest Muslim organization with some 40
million followers.
Adhi Massardi, a spokesman and close aide of Wahid, agreed
that Indonesia should rethink the Israel question. "Even more so
after several states in the region no longer have any problem
with Israel," he said.
"Actually, the Indonesian nation does not have any problem
with the Israeli nation. The problem is caused by certain groups
who use the Israel issue in a local political context to
strengthen their own political base," Massardi said.
"So far, we claim to be a staunch defender of the Palestinian
cause, but actually it is only on paper. Diplomatically, nothing
is being made and this is just a waste of time," he said.
With ties between Indonesia and Israel, "we could actually
exert direct pressure on Israel to implement a policy in
Palestine that is in line with ours," Massardi said.
The issue will remain sensitive for a long time, he warned.
"For Indonesia, the matter of ties with Israel always faces a
high level of resistance, with any suggestion for reopening ties
met with extraordinary reactions."