Indonesia should maintain role in peace process
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia should continue its role in helping peace return to the Middle East despite the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, observers urged.
Riza Sihbudi of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and Smith Alhadar of the Indonesian Society for Middle East Studies (ISMES) said the death of Arafat should instead encourage Indonesia to rally international pressure to help peace return to the Middle East.
The two experts, however, differed on how the government should play that role.
Riza suggested that the government continue the campaign for peace through either the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) or the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), while Smith said that Indonesia should take the initiative to mediate between Israel and Palestine.
"Indonesia, which has no political burden, can mediate between the two conflicting sides," Smith told The Jakarta Post here on Thursday.
According to him, mediating through the OIC would not work as Israel distrusts the organization.
Several members of the OIC, including Indonesia and Iran, have no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Riza and Smith were commenting on the role the Indonesian government could play in bringing peace to the Middle East after the death of the Palestinian leader.
Arafat died at 2:30 GMT on Thursday in a Paris military hospital, aged 75, after being airlifted to France on Oct. 29 from his West Bank headquarters. He had been in a coma since Nov. 3.
House of Representatives (DPR)'s foreign commission chairman Theo L. Sambuaga, meanwhile, suggested that the Indonesian government continue its full support for Palestine's struggle for independence.
"The government should mobilize international pressure for Palestinian independence through the OIC or NAM," Theo said.
Riza said it would be difficult for Indonesia to play the role of mediator because the peace process in Middle East was controlled by the United States.
"Through some international organizations, Indonesia can offer an alternative road map for peace in the Middle East," he told the Post.
According to Riza, Indonesia could continue the peace campaign and garner support from the European Union member countries.
The European Union member countries had facilitated peace talks in Madrid in 1991 before the peace process was brought to the United States.
He emphasized that in order to bring peace to the Middle East, many more countries should take part in the process, otherwise the United States would take a unilateral role in determining the process.
Under the United States leadership, the peace process in Middle East has not seen significant progress apparently because the United States sides with Israel, he said.
Meanwhile, Smith expressed concern about who would succeed Arafat. According to him, whoever replaces Arafat will determine the progress of the peace process.