Indonesian foreign policy inconsistent, says expert

Indonesian foreign policy inconsistent, says expert

Indonesia recently joined those countries who have condemned
Israel for its troops' brutality against Palestinians. This
stance was adopted, however, following a period of what critics
said was official foot-dragging because of President Abdurrahman
Wahid's reluctance. Political observer and lecturer Mochtar
Mas'oed at the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University
scrutinized shortcomings in Indonesia's foreign policy.

Question: Palestinian diplomats criticized the President's
stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What is your opinion?

The government may have really wanted to have stayed neutral
and not disturb the U.S.-led negotiations, surely with some
consideration of the government's own interests in reaching such
a stance. Furthermore, Gus Dur (the President) is a pluralist, so
it is understandable if he wished to remain neutral in the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

This, of course, should be differentiated from its stance on
the violence between Israeli troops and the Palestinians which
killed about 150 people. The government should certainly condemn
Israel for human rights violations.

Indeed, Indonesia is known for inconsistencies in its foreign
policy. In the 1970s, when the Arab countries slapped oil
embargoes against the U.S. and Netherlands, we sold the commodity
to the two countries in huge quantities. We took advantage of the
embargo. Which was why we failed to elicit Arab support over the
East Timor case back then.

Do you think the President was biased because of his
membership of the Shimon Peres' Foundation?

The foundation was actually established to promote peace
between Palestine and Israel by (disseminating the understanding)
that not all Jews support Zionism.

It is Gus Dur's right, as a pluralist, to join the
organization because of his belief that all human beings are
essentially the same. Besides, his record as a pluralist is
actually longer than his record as a politician or a president.

You have said that Indonesian foreign policy is often used by
politicians and the government to gain political benefit. Could
you elaborate?

It is undeniable that those who strongly condemn Israel have
hidden political motives. They (aim for) support not only from
Muslims in the country but also from nationalists, who consider
this issue as an example of the struggle against the world's
conservative power.

Remember that not all Palestinians are Muslim. There are
Christians too. We need to remind our leaders that the suffering
of the Palestinians is too great to be used as a mere political
tool.

We have never separated Zionism from Judaism, a confusion
which benefits politicians.

In Indonesian Muslim politics, the term Jewish is often linked
with Zionism -- which is an ultranationalist ideology just like
the chauvinism which existed during the Nazi period in Germany.
So if we mention Jewish or Israel, there is always the negative
connotation of Zionism -- which considers the Jews as a superior
nation. This has racialist and expansionist overtones.

That this is the case may be because Indonesian Muslims
already have a negative impression of the Jewish people because
of what the Koran says. Literal interpretation (of the Koran)
often casts the Jews as examples of what is bad.

But there is a diversity of people in Israel, and they can't
all be lumped together as Zionists. There are actually groups in
Israel who oppose Zionism. However, it would certainly be less
interesting for politicians seeking popular support to speak
about the diversity of Israelis.

In the long term, it should be clear who our enemy is in this
regard: the Jews, Zionism or Israel? Currently we are condemning
the aggressive behavior of a state which has resulted in victims.

... Our protest against Israel must be really directed to
supporting those victims. It must not be used to mobilize
domestic political support. Such a protest must be raised against
any country conducting aggression.

Do you share the feeling that anti-Israeli actions could
spread and give rise to tension between Muslims and non-Muslims?

That would be strange because again, the Palestinians we are
standing up for include Christians.

The troublesome part of all this is the xenophobia which could
arise in any anti-Israeli protest. This could become excessive.
Even though it refers mainly to anti-U.S. feeling, it could
develop into anti-any party relating to Israel.

The government now depends on investors, some of whom are said
to support Israel.

Ideally there should be a separation between our search for
economic support and violations of human rights by Israel. We
must condemn Israel although we should still continue our
approaches to international donors.

It is true that many parties who have the funds and resources
we need are mostly biased towards Israel. But formal and informal
international fund managers will understand if Indonesia feels it
needs to denounce Israel.

Gus Dur's government has stated its plan to open trade ties
with Israel. What do you think?

The government was right when it stated it planned trade ties
with Israel. It shows that the government has the freedom to take
up a stance in relation to any country. It also directly
approached China for the same purpose.

Having trade ties with a country doesn't mean we can't
criticize it when it's in the wrong. Indonesia has often
protested the actions of America, Britain and the Netherlands.

Arab countries also have ties with Israel (as indicated) by
Israeli products on sale in Arab countries.

Can we separate domestic political influences from foreign
policy?

It is, relatively speaking, possible, but no longer so in
Indonesia.

In the initial years of independence, foreign policy was used
as a means to defend the country's territory. Even now we do this
regarding the issues of Aceh, Irian Jaya and East Timor.

Foreign policy has also long been used in the domestic
struggle for power. (First president) Bung Karno used foreign
policy to settle conflicts between himself, the army and the
Indonesian Communist Party by diverting attention to
confrontation with Malaysia.

And foreign policy has also been used to support economic
development; which is now being done by President Abdurrahman
Wahid.

The conclusion is that Indonesia can so far only take care of
its own homework, and cannot do much about the region. Bung Karno
used to have ambitions of remaking the world order through NEFO
(New Emerging Forces) and other designs.

We may want to share a role in ensuring the world's peace but
most of our time and energy has been used up in resolving
domestic problems. (Asip A. Hasani)