The Soeharto-Rabin meeting

On Saturday Oct. 21, at 6.00 p.m. in the evening in New York, an important meeting took place. In the Presidential Suite on the fourth floor of the Waldorf Towers Hotel in New York, President Soeharto received the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The meeting, according to the Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, was "a bit sudden" and lasted for 30 minutes.

Without a doubt the meeting was made possible by the 50th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations. As is common on such occasions heads of state or government use the opportunity to meet each other either before or after the formal programs. Aside from using their available time more efficiently, such meetings are much less tied to official protocol than state visits.

We can clearly assume that the visit was part of Israel's efforts to establish diplomatic relations with Indonesia. Both politically and economically Israel has a great interest in Indonesia, particularly considering that country wishes to play a new role in the future.

We cannot close our eyes to the possibility of diplomatic relations with Israel in the future. However, it all depends on Israel's own sincerity: how serious it is in its desire to establish peace in the Middle East (and the world). Our stance in this matter is clear: there can be no question of diplomatic relations until the Palestinian state stands firmly on Palestinian soil.

-- Republika, Jakarta