President defends outreach to Israel

President defends outreach to Israel

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid dismissed opposition
to his plan to open economic ties with Israel, saying it was in
Indonesia's interest to do so.

The President pointed out it was strange that Indonesia had
relations with communist countries, like the former Soviet Union
and China, but with not Israel.

"In their constitutions both of them clearly oppose God.
Meanwhile Israel has never opposed God, so why should we make
such a fuss about them. We must be more mature," the President
said in a press conference at the Bina Graha presidential office.

Abdurrahman recently disclosed his plan to open commercial
relations with Israel, arguing that even some Arab countries had
diplomatic ties with Israel. However he assured the public that
Indonesia would not open diplomatic ties with Israel before there
was a total solution to the Palestine problem.

He also said he was eager to visit the state again.

"Indonesia can learn a lot from Israel on economy and
democracy," he said.

Relations with Israel remains a sensitive issue for Indonesia,
although some informal diplomatic contacts have occurred.

On Oct. 15, 1993, the then Israeli prime minister Yitzhak
Rabin paid an unofficial visit to Jakarta for a few hours and met
with the former president Soeharto. At that time Soeharto
defended the meeting saying that he received Rabin in his
capacity as the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab also
defended the idea of opening trade ties with Israel, saying it
was as a rational and pragmatic way to help restore the country's
economic plight.

Alwi told members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (Kadin) that opening trade links did not mean a shift in
principle toward Israel, and stated explicitly that the
government would not open diplomatic ties with the state.

He noted that for many years Indonesia has exported a number
of commodities to Israel, thus opening trade ties would be an act
of honesty from the government.

The minister conceded that several Arab envoys had expressed
concerns over the plan, but Alwi argued that ties were important
for Indonesia's economic recovery.

He also claimed that international Jewish figures were eager
to meet him.

"I heard today that George Soros, Henry Kissinger and Rabai
Schrider want to see me," Alwi remarked, while pledging that they
would not be able to persuade him to open formal diplomatic ties.

Separately, after receiving 16 ambassadors from various Arab
countries House of Representatives Speakers Akbar Tandjung said
despite Indonesia's intention to open trade relations with
Israel, Jakarta still fully supports the Palestinian cause.

Akbar told reporters that the ambassadors also seemed to
acknowledge that the decision was an Indonesia domestic one and
they were reluctant to interfere.

However he stressed that opening trade relations would not
necessarily open the door for diplomatic relations.

"It all depends on our foreign policy and, currently, we are
fully behind Palestine independence", he said. (02/04/prb)