Israel will not join the IPU meeting: Akbar
JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on Wednesday that the Israeli Knesset had canceled its plan to send a delegation to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference due to begin here on Sunday.
The official reason given, through a facsimilied letter, was due to increased tension in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent days.
"We have just received an official letter from the Knesset noting that they can not attend the conference due to security reasons at their home," said House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung who is due to chair the week-long conference.
However, the cancellation also avoids a potentially difficult conundrum for Akbar as there have been mounting protests and even threats of a boycott from legislators of Islamic based parties in Indonesia should the Israeli delegation have been allowed to attend the conference.
Akbar had earlier said that it would be hard to bar the delegation since they are legitimate members of the IPU.
When asked if he believes the mounting protests from Muslim groups here helped sway the decision, Akbar replied: "I don't know exactly. But Israeli intelligence officers probably influenced them because up to yesterday (Tuesday) morning their participation was still firm."
He reiterated that as hosts Indonesia could not reject Israel's participation, despite Jakarta not having diplomatic ties and not recognizing the Israeli state.
But dozens of members of the Islamic Defender Army (LPI), who met with Akbar on Wednesday to personally get confirmation of the cancellation, still expressed skepticism and pledged to continue monitoring the House compound and hotels in Jakarta during the conference.
"We will continue patrolling hotels and the House compound to ensure the Israeli delegation's absence," said an LPI member.
Numerous Muslim groups have staged demonstrations, protesting the Israeli parliament's intention to attend the IPU conference.
The protests grew in the wake of bloody clashes in the West Bank and Jerusalem that left dozens of Palestinians dead.
Legislator Iris Indira Murti of the Golkar Party believed the cancellation was due, in part, to the increasing anti-Israel sentiment here.
Iris, who has been appointed deputy chair of the Indonesian delegation to the conference, said she could understand the decision as the delegation would certainly be the subject of condemnation from other delegations in the conference.
"You can imagine if the Israeli delegation were greeted by massive demonstrations from Muslim groups and PLO supporters in the conference," she said.
She said the Indonesian delegation would condemn Israel as its official stance on the killing of Palestinians in the clashes is clear.
From Jerusalem, Reuters reported on Tuesday that the Israeli government warned its citizens against traveling to Muslim states as Israeli-Palestinian clashes entered their 13th day and the death toll from the violence climbed to 90.
"In light of the increasing risk in recent days for Israeli tourists...it is recommended they refrain from trips, at this stage, to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Indonesia," a statement from the Department for Fighting Terrorism, said. (rms/jun)