Indonesia Urges Other Countries not to Follow US Move
Foreign Minister Marsudi has requested Jordan to strengthen its diplomacy to prevent other countries from following the US’ move.
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AFP PHOTO/THOMAS COEX
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to throw a stone through the smoke of burning tires during clashes with Israeli forces on Dec, 11 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Demonstrations continue to flare in the Middle East and elsewhere over US President Donald Trump\'s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel\'s capital.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has requested Jordan to strengthen its diplomacy to prevent other countries from following the US’ move of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital or moving their embassies to the holy city. Retno also urges Jordan to convince other countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to immediately do so.
Retno delivered this to Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan, on Monday (11/12/2017). In the meeting, she said that she hoped the special summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday would produce concrete efforts to help Palestine.
The summit should also deliver a strong message that the US’ unilateral claim on Jerusalem was totally unacceptable. “The US’ unilateral claim on Jerusalem’s status will not change Indonesia’s strong commitment of diplomacy to struggle for Palestine’s independence,” Retno said.
After US President Donald Trump announced that the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a number of countries, including Hungary, Greece, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, are reported to wish to establish closer relationship with Israel. However, the Czech government later said that it would only accept Israel’s sovereignty over West Jerusalem. Hungary has reaffirmed that it will keep pushing for a two-state solution. Jerusalem is split into two regions, namely the western and eastern sides. East Jerusalem is sought after by the Palestinian government as the national capital.
In order to respond to the Jerusalem crisis, OIC, which is currently under Turkey’s leadership, will hold a special summit on Wednesday. Retno said that Indonesia and Jordan had agreed that the OIC summit should produce rulings to encourage an Israel-Palestine peace process in the framework of two-state solution with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital.
Review agreements
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the Jordan parliament had established a special committee to review all the agreements the country signed with Israel in 1994. Together with Egypt, Jordan was the Arab country that signed a peace treaty with Israel.
The special committee’s establishment was unanimously agreed by the Jordan parliament. Nevertheless, the committee’s rulings will still depend on Jordan King Abdullah II. Jordan constitution stipulates that only kings can evoke peace treaties.
In Jakarta, 21 interfaith leaders have issued a joint statement supporting Palestine. The statement was delivered to Palestine Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhari Alshun. Indonesia-Palestine Friendship Initiative (PPIP) chairman Din Syamsuddin urged the international community, including the US, to respect United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. 181/1947, which stipulates that Jerusalem is under international control. “The US’s move is a violation of international law,” he said.
