Israel welcomes new President

JAKARTA (JP): As congratulatory statements continue to pour in on from around the world following Abdurrahman Wahid's election to the presidency, a leading politician from Israel -- a country which Indonesia refuses to initiate diplomatic ties with -- also welcomed the new President.

Israel extended a warm but cautious welcome on Thursday to Abdurrahman, expressing hope that his election would lead to a rapprochement between the Jewish state and the world's largest Muslim nation.

"There is no reason why this could not herald a new era with Indonesia," said former prime minister Shimon Peres, a close friend of Abdurrahman's.

"Wahid belongs to enlightened Islam. He is a man of spirituality and principle," Peres, who is now Regional Cooperation Minister, told the Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

But the paper also quoted Israeli officials as urging caution, saying it was too early to be enthusiastic about initiating diplomatic relations.

"It is a big country with major internal problems and the question of Israel will not have top priority," one official said, adding that any overture to the Jewish state could trigger a backlash among Muslim hardliners.

In a front page report, the Haaretz newspaper described Abdurrahman as "Israel-friendly".

"(Wahid) has visited Israel several times and is considered an avid supporter of dialog between his country and Israel, although there are no diplomatic relations between the two nations at present."

Abdurrahman traveled to Israel two years ago. He visited the grave of slain premier Yitzhak Rabin and attended a conference where he criticized terrorism and described Islam as "the religion of peace", the paper said.

He also underwent medical treatment in Israel, the paper reported.

AFP reported from Jerusalem that in an interview with Israeli radio several months ago and recounted on Thursday in Israeli media, Abdurrahman had said he "admired the Jewish people".

"I hope for peace between Israel and Arabs and I also hope for diplomatic relations between Israel and Indonesia," he said, according to reports of the interview.

Meanwhile, China congratulated Abdurrahman on Thursday and said it hoped the country would maintain social stability and recover economically.

"We congratulate Abdurrahman Wahid on his election as Indonesia's new President," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference in Beijing.

"As a friendly neighboring country, we sincerely hope Indonesia will continue to maintain social stability, and that its economy will recover its healthy development as soon as possible," Zhang said as quoted by Reuters.

"It is not only in keeping with the interests of Indonesian people, but also in keeping with the stability and development of the region."

In Wellington, New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley was quick to congratulate the new Indonesian president.

"His moral authority as a respected religious leader in Indonesia, his long commitment to inclusion and reconciliation and the political skills he has shown during the election process all bode well for Indonesia's future," she said in a statement as reported by DPA.

Singapore, one of Indonesia's closest neighbors, congratulated Abdurrahman for overcoming setbacks, and expressed hope that stronger ties would be established between the neighboring countries.

"You have had to travel a long road to reach the highest office. You overcame difficult obstacles and endured great adversity to triumph," Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew said in a letter to Abdurrahman dated Wednesday.

Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong described relations between Singapore and Indonesia as "good", but said the ties could be improved.

"There are still many areas that we can explore to further strengthen our cooperation and neighborly ties. I look forward to working with you to consolidate the good relationship." Goh also said he looked forward to meeting Abdurrahman in November at the Association of South East Asian Nations summit in Manila.

"Your election will begin the process of national reconciliation, which is a crucial step toward the restoration of international confidence," said Goh in a letter, also dated Wednesday.