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.