Traveling councillors told not to visit Israel
Traveling councillors told not to visit Israel
JAKARTA (JP): City Council Speaker Edy Waluyo has instructed
12 members of Commission C for financial affairs, who are on an
overseas trip financed by the city budget, to cancel their visit
to Israel, a senior councillor said on Tuesday.
Councillor Tadjus Sobirin quoted Edy as saying that the order
was mainly based on the absence of diplomatic ties between
Indonesia and Israel.
"I think the councillors shouldn't visit Israel because it's a
sensitive issue as we don't have a diplomatic relations with the
country," Edy was quoted by the chairman of the Golkar Party
faction, Tadjus, as saying.
According to Tadjus, Edy decided to phone councillor Amarullah
Asbah, the chairman of the commission which is on the trip, to
cancel the plan.
The 12 members of Commission C left for Europe last Saturday
and were the second batch of city councillors to travel overseas,
particularly to European countries, for a so-called comparative
study.
Four members of the commission decided not to take part in the
trip.
They are Ahmad Heryawan of the Justice Party (PK) faction,
Nazamuddin of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Gaffar Malik
and Sugiarso from the Indonesian Military/National Police
faction.
"I don't think it's the appropriate time to take part in the
visit now. Besides, members of the national and regional
executives boards of my party have questioned me over the trip,"
said Ahmad.
The trip, scheduled to be participated in by all of the 85
city councillors, including Edy, is costing the city budget Rp 3
billion.
The 12 councillors of Commission C were earlier scheduled to
depart Paris for Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to see the tomb of
Samuel, Bethlehem, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Israel on Friday.
Indonesia is a strong supporter of a Palestine independent
from Israeli occupation and has stated that it will not establish
diplomatic ties until Palestine is free.
Based on the itinerary, the councillors will visit Amsterdam,
Berlin, Birmingham, Paris and Rotterdam. During the trip, they
will visit local administrations in Berlin, Birmingham and
Rotterdam to study city revenue from taxes and other levies.
The trip, however, has been the target of harsh criticism as
most of the stopovers are tourist attractions.
On Wednesday, for example, they will visit the Arc de
Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower and the Champs
d'Elysse "for shopping" in Paris before going to Tel Aviv via
London, according to the itinerary.
In Amsterdam, the councillors will visit places such as
Madurodam and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum as well as the Volendam
and take a canal cruise on Saturday.
Next Monday, they will go to Rotterdam by bus to see the cube
houses as well as shopping in Lijnbaan before returning to
Amsterdam and then directly going to Berlin by train.
From Amsterdam, the group is scheduled to leave for Tel Aviv
on Sunday and return back to Jakarta via Singapore next Thursday
from Berlin.
In Berlin, they will be engaged in "city orientation".
Earlier last month, members of Commission D for development
affairs discretely took the first trip on an almost similar
European tour and returned last Wednesday. But they did not visit
Tel Aviv as it was not on their travel list.
It was also reported that the councillors of Commission D did
not inform Speaker Edy prior to their departure.
When contacted, some relatives and family members of the
councillors who are currently taking part in the trip appeared to
be hiding the whereabouts of the councillors by saying they were
out of town, instead of in Europe.
"My father is in Bandung and I don't know when he will return
home," answered a girl, who said she was the daughter of
Amarullah.
The trips of the other three commissions have yet to be
announced but chairman of Commission B for economic affairs
Syarif Zulkarnaen said his commission would go to Asian countries
instead of to Europe. (nvn)