Israel wants to develop ties with Indonesia

Israel wants to develop ties with Indonesia

By Oei Eng Goan

JERUSALEM (JP): Israel wants to build friendly and diplomatic
ties with Indonesia and wishes to see their relations develop
naturally now that a major change has taken place in the world's
largest Muslim country, Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation
Shimon Peres said on Monday.

Peres said there was no reason why Israel and Indonesia should
not become good friends as the two countries have never been
involved in a conflict nor have they been hostile with each
other.

He told a group of visiting Indonesian journalists at the
Knesset building that Indonesia under the leadership of President
Abdurrahman Wahid had started developing towards democracy and it
had brought a great message, not only to Israel but also to the
international community.

"While President Wahid may have some problems with his sight,
he doesn't have problems with his insight. He takes things in a
very impressive and humane way," Peres said.

Indonesia and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, and
Jakarta has made it clear that it will not set up ties until the
Jewish state acknowledges the existence of an independent
Palestinian nation and returns all Arab land currently under
Israeli occupation.

"I know that Indonesia is very concerned with the Palestinian
issue, but so are we. We don't consider ourselves hostile to the
Palestinian or to the Muslim world," Peres noted, adding that the
success of Palestinian people is also considered as the success
of Israeli people.

"We have relations with the Palestinians so why should
Indonesia's be less than the Palestinian (Authority)," remarked
Peres, who was Israeli prime minister following the assassination
of Yitzhak Rabin by a Zionist zealot in 1995.

When asked to comment on opposition by certain Indonesian
Islamic groups to President Wahid's suggestion of establishing
ties with Israel, Peres said he understood the situation and the
problems faced by the Indonesian President because Indonesia
belonged to the Muslim world.

"When I met President Wahid in Davos, I didn't ask him for
everything. I know the President has a lot of problems. He told
me about his idea of holding an interreligious meeting and about
the importance of commercial ties. And I think we must give him
time. We agreed that things should take their course nicely and
gradually and I'm sure they will." Peres said, adding that Israel
"prays for Wahid and that his unorthodox approach will win the
day for the benefit and for the good of the people of Indonesia".

Noting the new Indonesian government's interest in improving
its agriculture, Peres said that Israel's high technology could
help Indonesia in this sector, as it had done so in India and
China.

Israel's advanced agricultural technology is known worldwide,
in particular its successful conversion of desert land into
arable plots.

One of the deputy speakers of the Knesset, Gideon Ezra, who
represents the Likud Party opposition in the Israeli coalition
parliament, said he fully agreed with idea of having bilateral
trade and diplomatic ties with Indonesia, now that the Jakarta
government had become more transparent and democratic.

"We are willing to foster ties with every democratic nation in
the world, despite the fact that they are Muslim countries," Ezra
said, citing the relations that Israel had built with Islamic
nations like Algeria and Morocco.

Separately, Israeli Minister of Trade and Industry Ran Cohen
said it was his hope direct bilateral trade ties could be
established in the foreseeable future, as it would benefit both
Indonesia and Israel.

Cohen said that during his meeting with his Indonesian
counterpart Jusuf Kalla in Seattle in November, they agreed to
continue talks on how to build cooperation in the trade and
industrial sectors.

"We can start by having exchange visits of trade delegations,
so as to open the hearts of and the roads for our business people
to cement trade relations," he added.

Last month, an Israeli trade delegation visited Jakarta to
explore ways to expand cooperation with the Indonesian business
community. Some Israeli businessmen said, however, that it was
difficult for them to come to Jakarta due to the absence of
diplomatic ties between the two governments.

Besides, they have to pay a high price for their visas.
Currently the Jakarta government charges around US$200 to $250
per visa.