RI's policy on Israel proven correct: Alatas says

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)