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."