RI's policy on Israel proven correct: Alatas says

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has made the right decision to withhold establishing diplomatic ties with Israel now that the peace talks have stalled, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday.

Alatas told Antara the peace agreement between then Israeli prime minister Yitzak Rabin and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in 1993 was euphoric. Many Arab countries responded by establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.

"We refrained, considering the peace process was not final. As it turns out now, the new Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has moved further away from the commitments that were agreed by his predecessors in the peace agreement.

"This proves that our policy has been the right one," said Alatas, in Muscat, Oman, on an official visit.

"Indonesia remains consistent in its policy that it won't open diplomatic ties with Israel as long as the Palestinian problem is not settled and the Arab-Israeli conflict is not resolved.

"Considering that the peace process is stalling, I think we are on the right track," he said.

The Middle East situation was one of the topics that Alatas discussed with his Oman counterpart and host Yousuf bin Alawi Muhammad, Antara said.

Indonesia considers the Israeli occupation of Arab territories such as Syria's Golan Heights, Palestine and Southern Lebanon as a fundamental issue that needs to be resolved before it agrees to establish ties, Alatas said.

He said certain parties have pressured the Indonesian government to open ties with Israel.

"They argued why don't we open diplomatic ties with Israel now that several Arab countries have done so.

"I said the Arab countries that have established diplomatic ties are those that have resolved their problems (with Israel) such as Egypt and Jordan. But Syria and Lebanon have not, let alone Palestine," he said.

"Indonesia sticks to its principles. We will not be influenced, either by those who already have diplomatic ties with Israel or not," he added.

He said many Arab countries are now reconsidering their ties with Israel given the precarious situation. The Arab League has also called on its members to freeze their respective relations with Israel.

Oman has frozen all contacts with Israel and closed the Israeli trade office in Muscat until peace is achieved in Palestine, Alatas said. (emb)