Israel welcomes new President

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.