RI remains against ties with Israel

RI remains against ties with Israel

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia remains firmly against establishing
diplomatic relations with Israel and refutes suggestions that a
peace agreement between Damascus and Tel Aviv would be a
precursor to ties with Jakarta.

"That's what he thinks...We continue to remain in our
position," Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told
The Jakarta Post yesterday when asked to comment on Israeli
Finance Minister Abraham Shohat's statement that formal ties will
soon be established.

Shohat said on Friday in New Delhi that ties with Indonesia
and Malaysia would be formed not longer after a peace with Syria
was established, which he believed would come soon.

Shohat was speaking at the end of a five-nation tour of Asia
which included Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Thailand and
Vietnam.

Both Indonesia and Malaysia are predominantly Moslem countries
whose populations remain adamantly opposed to the Jewish state.

Indonesia strongly opposes Israel for its occupation of
Palestinian territory. However, it has expressed its support for
the current peace process and the breakthrough it has provided
for Palestinian self-rule.

"Our position remains the same. Diplomatic relations with
Israel can only begin after the resolution of the Palestinian
question and the Arab-Israeli conflict," Alatas said at his
office yesterday afternoon.

Indications that Jakarta and Tel Aviv have been slowly
reconciling began when Israeli Prime Minister, the late Yitzhak
Rabin, visited Jakarta in October 1993 for a few hours.

Officials at the time stressed that the meeting was held on
Rabin's request and that President Soeharto was acting mainly in
his capacity as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Last October, Soeharto and Rabin again held a half-hour parley
in New York when the two attended the 50th anniversary
celebrations of the United Nations.

Officials at the time were rather nonchalant when asked
whether bilateral issues were discussed during the meeting.

This was the last meeting between the two heads state before
Rabin was assassinated just two weeks later.(mds)