RI has interests in opening ties with Israel

Emanuel Shahaf, Tel Aviv

Several weeks ago there was a demonstration in Jakarta: Tens of thousands of devout Muslims poured into the streets of Jakarta to demonstrate against Israel and support their Palestinian brothers opposing a perceived aggression by a handful of Jewish radicals against the Al-Aqsa mosque on the temple mount in Jerusalem.

While this was probably, more than anything else, an impressive display of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) clout serving mainly internal Indonesian purposes based on a perception of a threat to Muslim interests in Jerusalem, let's take this opportunity to look at the status-quo of Indonesian relations with Israel, if any, and see whether the present situation serves Indonesia's interests.

As is well known, there are no diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel and the former, since the demise of the President Abdurrahman Wahid administration in 2001, studiously avoids taking any steps in that direction insisting that first and foremost the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians needs to be resolved in a satisfactory manner.

Interestingly enough, the lack of resolution of the conflict, has not prevented quite a number of Arab nations including Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, and some of the Gulf countries from establishing or re-establishing open relations with Israel, realizing that a continued lack of exchange of diplomats, ideas and trade serves neither the interests of their respective countries nor the interests of the Palestinian people.

It is difficult not to see how strongly in particular Egypt and Jordan support the Palestinians politically and time and again involve themselves in negotiations with Israel to help move the peace process forward and overcome present Israeli reluctance to compromise by more than the absolute minimum necessary to keep the Bush administration happy.

No doubt that without the active involvement of Egypt, the forthcoming Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the first real indication that Israel is willing to cede territory to the Palestinians, would be in serious trouble.

None of the recent Arab-Israeli rapprochement, which for the time being may admittedly be more in form than in substance, has had any apparent influence on Indonesia. Despite her being a moderate Muslim nation that according to her own constitution is supposed to work for world peace stays away from it with all her might.

Instead of involving herself in an effort that could very well be beneficial, both to the resolution of the conflict and to the diplomatic and economical interests of Indonesia, Jakarta will have none of it, more likely than not because of the ever present fear of the local Islamic sentiment. While the concern of those who fear the reaction of Muslim circles in Indonesia to any thawing of the ties with Israel is not without foundation, it cannot continue indefinitely to serve as an excuse not to advance important Indonesian interests.

And what would Indonesian interests be, in this context? Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation in a world suffering from a serious split between Islam and the West.

With her moderate outlook, Indonesia can and should be an active promoter of peace between religions and nations, in particular in a conflict where religion plays a role, as it does in the Middle East, between Israel and the Palestinians. This would enable her to profile herself on the international stage and facilitate her claim to a chair at the table of the UN Security Council.

Should Indonesia decide to involve herself in peacemaking in the Middle East at any level, she would have to establish some kind of open relationship with Israel, not necessarily immediate full diplomatic relations, but possibly a limited arrangement, similar to the one she presently has with Taiwan.

In addition to enabling her to become a mediator in the conflict, the establishment of relations would facilitate the development of economic ties with Israel which are, at present undeveloped. Israel as a world leader in agricultural technology, could make a major contribution to rural development and the alleviation of poverty in the archipelago.

The argument for the establishment of relations with Israel is rational and serves both the interests of Indonesia and the Palestinians -- Israel will be much more likely to listen to Indonesia if she has something to lose, a huge potential market for her agricultural know-how. Listen to Nabeel Shaat the Palestinian foreign minister and his words at the recent Asian- African Summit -- do get involved.

The writer is a retired (Israeli) diplomat who served in South East Asia from 2000-2003.