Indonesia must do something to support Palestine against the brazen state, Israel. It is not enough through political gimmick

JI-Jakarta. The Indonesian government has expressed concern over the escalation of Palestine and Israel’s armed conflict and urged the two parties to end the violence immediately to avoid more casualties.

In comprehensively ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Indonesia highlighted the importance of solving the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

The Israeli occupation, which is definitely the root cause of the prolonged conflict, must be resolved in accordance with parameters to which the United Nations has agreed, the ministry said.

Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) called for restraint from both Palestine and Israel amid heightening conflicts in the region, saying in a statement that an open war would only harm civilians.

NU Central Board (PBNU) Chair Achmad Fahrur Rozi on Monday told The Jakarta Post that the organization was “profoundly concerned” with the ongoing conflict, calling for an “immediate end” to the situation as well as a resolution and supervision from the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Foreign Relations Chief Sudamoto Abdul Hakim told the Post that while peace-led dialogues have not been able to bear much fruit in the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict, the ideal settlement would “not have to involve war,” and that Tel Aviv must pull its troops back.

There are concerns about Hamas’ capacity to infiltrate and launch a free attack on Israel’s southern region on Saturday. How can a country with the most powerful military and intelligence forces in the Middle East be seen as being so easily captured by Hamas members riding motorbikes, motorboats, and paragliding?

In an attempt to comprehend what is actually happening in Israel, astonishment and question marks haunt the mind, while sadness and concern are focused on the loss of so many lives, particularly civilians. The conflict between Hamas and Israel is now part of a long-running cycle of violence in the Palestinian territories under occupation.

The agony and severity of war’s consequences should compel various parties to end the conflict as soon as possible. Don’t allow the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to devolve into an endless cycle of violence.

The United States has said it will send multiple military ships and aircraft closer to Israel as a show of support following Saturday’s surprise attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday. He said the United States would also provide munitions to Israel.

President Jokowi in a press statement regarding the current situation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict called for an end to the war between Israel and Palestine in order to avoid increasing casualties and destruction of property.

The head of state had called on Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and related ministries and institutions to immediately take quick action to protect Indonesian citizens in conflict areas.

“The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved immediately according to the parameters agreed upon by the United Nations,” he emphasized.

In the warning issued, Indonesia advised its citizens to cancel any trips to the Palestinian territories or Israel and called on the hundreds of citizens who were there before the conflict escalated to immediately leave the areas. 

The country’s embassies in Amman, Beirut and Cairo have been coordinating to evacuate the 10 Indonesians in the Gaza Strip. Ministry Director Judha Nugraha said the government was planning to evacuate other Indonesian citizens, including 35 residing in the West Bank and 230 tourists currently in Israel, but that the priority was the Gaza Strip.

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin called for an immediate halt to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Vice President urged the peace process to return to discussing the two-state solution. Ma’ruf went on to say that Indonesia, through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, had acted as a mediator to bring the two countries together.

Demonstrators from the Labor Party and the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) held a rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, demanding that the Indonesian and U.S. governments play an active role in ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

Labor Party President Said Iqbal said his party urged the U.S. to help push for a U.N. General Assembly to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said he is concerned that the arrival of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean will aggravate the conflict by inviting Turkey, Syria, and other Arab countries to support the Palestinians’ struggle against Israel.  

Said asked the U.S. Embassy to notify President Joe Biden that U.S. aid and troops should not be sent to Israel, threatening to carry out larger-scale actions across Indonesia if the demands were not met. The Labor Party also urged the Indonesian government to act as a mediator in the escalating conflict.

 The Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhair Al-Shun voiced strong criticism against the United States for its continued financial support to Israel, enabling Israel to perpetuate oppression against the Palestinian people on a daily basis.

“I heard President Joe Biden’s statement yesterday, in which he mentioned that America can allocate billions or trillions of dollars to defend Israel,” Zuhair told local reporters at the Palestinian Embassy in Jakarta. Zuhair said Israel’s acts of violence against the Palestinian people have become a disturbing daily occurrence.

The Middle East’s geopolitical tension after the attack of the Palestinian militant group Hamas into Israeli territory made the United States stepped in. Washington has called on China to take part in bringing stability to the region. In a meeting between U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, the United States called on Beijing to use its influence with Iran to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading.

Palestinian Solidarity Mass Action, involving the Islamic Brotherhood Front (FPI), Islamic Defending Action and Fatwa Defenders (GNPF), and the 212 Alumni Brotherhood action, staged a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta marched carrying Palestinian flags and banners in support of Palestine. Field coordinator Buya Husein said the action was attended by a thousand supporters.

They urged the Indonesian government to support the liberation of Palestinians. The protestors also demanded the U.S. government refrain from attacking Palestine. Previously in the morning, another group of people from Aqsa Working Group (AWG) staged a protest, calling on the Indonesian public and government to boycott “Israeli Zionists,” including the United States, which openly supports Israel.

Indonesian President Jokowi has called for the “root cause” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be addressed, as hardline Islamic groups took to the street outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta declaring they were ready to fight in the Middle East.

The several hundred demonstrators — many holding Palestinian flags — prayed to “expel Zionist Israel from Palestinian soil” as U.S. embassy personnel reinforced security with barbed wire and 900 police stood guard.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said the evacuation of Indonesian citizens from Palestine will be carried out once the situation on the ground is safe.

Retno said that she has asked for support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in evacuating Indonesians from the Gaza Strip in Palestine, which has become the main target of the Israeli military’s air strikes.

The minister is intensively communicating with several parties, including the ICRC, to ensure the security and safety of Indonesian citizens.

We strongly condemn the killings of Israeli civilians that took place when Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Deluge in the early hours of Oct. 7, as well as Israeli’s retaliation, which claimed additional innocent lives…. Indonesia has thrown its weight behind the two-state solution… Peace prospects have been elusive as Israel has expanded settlement areas in occupied Palestinian territory and isolated Palestinians who live in Gaza and the West Bank.

The religious doctrine of an eye for an eye should have no place in Middle East politics. Israel will never be able to win a real war against Palestine only with military and economic power. Similarly, the Palestinians must be ready to compromise and sincerely abandon any evil intention of erasing Israel from the map.

The escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel, particularly if both countries’ allies are involved, will worsen geopolitical conditions in the Middle East, threatening global stability. There are even more compelling reasons for Indonesia to urge the international community to do everything possible to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The Indonesian government must exert greater pressure to initiate peace talks between Palestine and Israel. Start with the consolidation of countries that recognize Palestinian sovereignty, including Arab countries, then move together to urge the submission of peace proposals for both countries. The two-state solution initiated by the United Nations (UN) is still worth fighting for.

In Jakarta, political observer, Linda Rahmawati said, Indonesia must do something to support Palestine against the brazen state, Israel.

“It is not enough through political gimmick. The whole of Muslim communities around the world are waiting Indonesia’s action,” she said.