Indonesia pledges RP 1b in aid to Palestine
Indonesia pledges RP 1b in aid to Palestine
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian government has pledged to provide the
Palestinian people with Rp 1 billion (US$94,300) in food and
medical aid.
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla told
reporters after a limited ministerial meeting here that the
government would finance the aid from the state budget allocated
for the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Jusuf said the aid would be delivered to Palestinians through
the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI).
PMI will officially deliver the aid to its Palestine
counterparts during a ceremony at the Palestinian Embassy in
Jakarta on Thursday.
"We cannot send the food and medicine directly to Palestine,
because only a national Red Cross can get access to the country,"
Jusuf said.
He said the aid would help relieve the suffering of
Palestinians. There has been a great deal of concern voiced
around the world of a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian
territories as a result of the week-long, and continuing,
offensive by Israel.
The government, Jusuf added, was calling on Indonesians to
follow its lead in providing aid to Palestinians.
Separately, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) said any
assistance to the Palestinian people would be more effective in
the form of financial and humanitarian aid.
The council also urged the government to make more of an
effort to denounce Israel's invasion to Palestine.
"This is not a matter of religion. Therefore, if we want to
assist our friends in Palestine, it would be better in the form
of medical and financial assistance," MUI executive chairman
Amidhan told reporters after meeting with Vice President Hamzah
Haz.
The hard-line Muslim group the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has
formed the Al Aqsa Mosque Salvation Committee, which is aimed at
helping Palestine expel Israeli troops from its territories. The
group claims to have registered hundreds of volunteers, despite
the government's call against sending fighters to Palestine.
The Al Aqsa Mosque is located in Jerusalem and is the third
holiest site for Muslims, after Mecca and Medinah.
In a meeting with Hamzah on Tuesday, members of the Ikhwanul
Muslim group said they had planned to send 15 medical workers to
Palestine.