RI strongly condemns Israel's siege of Arafat HQ

RI strongly condemns Israel's siege of Arafat HQ

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian government strongly denounced on Monday Israel's
siege of the West Bank headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat, demanding that the Jewish state stop the offensive
immediately.

"Indonesia strongly condemns the recent intensification by
Israeli military forces of the siege and destruction of the
headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat," the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement.

"It demands that Israel immediately end its siege and
destruction... and fully comply with the relevant resolutions of
the United Nations Security Council," it added.

The ministry said the Israeli military aggression shows
"continued defiance against the will of the international
community as reflected in the relevant resolutions".

It added that the siege was a "much-discredited attempt" to
sideline and harm Arafat.

"Through its actions, Israel is once again threatening the
stability and security of the region and jeopardizing the future
of the peace process," the statement said.

Indonesia reiterated "its support and solidarity with the
people of Palestine" over the offensive.

The world's most populous Muslim country with about 85 percent
of its 210 million people followers of Islam, Indonesia has no
diplomatic relations with Israel.

Such a condemnation against Israel was not the first. Jakarta
had several times lodged strong protests against the Jewish
state, which is one of the United States' allies, over its brutal
attacks on the Palestinians. Nonetheless, such protestations have
always been ignored.

Noted Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra hailed Indonesia's move to
condemn the Israeli siege of Arafat's headquarters in the West
Bank, but urged the government to do more to step up pressure
against Israel's offensive.

Such a condemnation would be ineffective should Indonesia not
take more progressive action aimed at forcing Israel to lift the
siege and destruction.

"Indonesia along with other ASEAN countries should propose a
new resolution, so the UN Security Council will force Israel to
end the attack," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday night.

He added that Indonesia should lobby members of the UN
Security Council to back a motion against all Israeli aggression.

"President Megawati (Soekarnoputri) can emulate what President
(George W.) Bush has done in soliciting support for the war on
terrorism. She should call up the leaders of Russia and China or
France and Germany to back our steps," said Azyumardi, rector of
the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) in
Jakarta.

"Indonesia should therefore be more proactive in this regard,"
he added.

Azyumardi said Israel must be prevented from pressing on with
its "arbitrary action" against the Palestinians aimed at
"dismantling" their houses and territory.

The United States, which appeared to be quite aggressive in
its global campaign against terrorism, should also move to
immediately step in to put an end to Israel's "barbaric
aggression", which had been dubbed by many as state terrorism, he
added.

Meanwhile, several Arab states along with France rallied on
Monday behind a Palestinian demand for the UN to exert pressure
on Israel to lift the siege.

France considers the siege to be "unacceptable" and is trying
to negotiate a solution between the various parties, ministry
spokesman Francois Rivasseau was quoted by AFP as saying.

"The destructive operations have ended, but an unacceptable
siege is ongoing around the offices of Mr Arafat. The occupants
remain cut off from all contact with the outside world and are in
a precarious and humiliating situation," he said.