Indonesia has urged Organization of Islamic Cooperation member countries to unite for Palestine.
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ISTANBUL, KOMPAS — Indonesia has urged Organization of Islamic Cooperation member countries to unite for Palestine. Indonesia also continues to collect support from other countries and has asked them not to follow the United States in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Palestine-Israel conflict must be solved through the two-state solution framework.
President Joko Widodo said the extraordinary summit of the OIC in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday (13/12) was an important forum. The summit will be the first OIC meeting to respond US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the US’ plan to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Kompas journalist Hamzirwan Hamid reported from Istanbul that after a 12-hour flight from Jakarta, President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana arrived at Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, to attend the OIC Summit to specifically discuss the Jerusalem crisis.
The meeting is expected to produce a recommendation to respond to the US policy. President Jokowi has issued a statement, rejecting the US’ decision. According to plan, President will speak at the Summit.
“I will convey our rejection, Indonesian people’s rejection, over the US policy,” the President said before departing from Jakarta to Istanbul, Tuesday.
President Jokowi said he would fight for Indonesia’s stance at the OIC’s highest forum. The President will also lobby OIC members to have one voice over US President Donald Trump’s claim. It is hoped that all OIC members unite in defense of Palestine.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Indonesia continued to push for a two-state solution in the Palestine-Israel conflict. Thus, Palestine and Israel are recognized as independent states.
Before the President and his delegates departed for Istanbul, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi held meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in Amman, Jordan. The meeting was part of preparations for the OIC Summit in Istanbul. “The elements Indonesia will bring are more or less similar with that of Palestine,” she said.
With the two meetings, Retno is optimistic the OIC extraordinary summit will produce a good result for Palestine. She said Palestine appreciated Indonesia as a non-Arab state, which quickly carried out a series of diplomacy efforts after the US’ announcement.
Aside from OIC members, Indonesia also contacted several other countries. Before departed to Amman, Retno contacted British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. After Istanbul, Retno will depart to Brussels, Belgium, to meet European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
Jordan also appreciated Indonesia’s diplomatic moves. Indonesia is one of the first countries, which quickly and actively show its stance and collect supports for Palestine after Trump’s statement.
Foreign Ministry directorate for social culture and developing countries international organization, through its Twitter account, stated Indonesian delegates at OIC Summit in Istanbul, on Tuesday, proposed an idea for countries having diplomatic relations with Israel to sever ties with Israel. Beside, those countries also do not move their diplomatic mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
In Jakarta, Foreign Ministry policy development and assessment body head Siswo Pramono said every US domestic political maneuver would affect foreign policy. “Including the latest on Jerusalem,” he said during a press conference at the ministry.
Indonesia Islamic University international relations head Irawan Jati said Trump is facing many problems at home, including low domestic support. He tried to distract the public and one way to do it was through the Jerusalem issue.
Irawan said Indonesia and other countries not only have to collect support from other countries. It is also important to lobby American people to reject Trump’s decision. The only force that can change US foreign policy is domestic pressure.
“Perhaps, the civil society network can do it [lobbying American people] through their contacts in the US,” he said.
EU does not follow US
On the Jerusalem issue, the European Union tends to not follow the US. “He can expect from others because from European Union there will be no such moves,” Mogherini said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hope for EU to also recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Mogherini made the statement after meeting Netanyahu in Brussels, Monday. She also emphasized EU stick to the two-state solution as the most realistic solution for Israel-Palestine conflict. Also, Jerusalem must be divided into two for the capital of both countries. The borderlines must stick to the fact before the 1967 war.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again warned of the potential global tensions following Trump’s decision.
“Russia and Turkey believe the decision and the plan to move the US embassy will mess up the Israel-Palestine peace process,” Putin said in Ankara, Turkey.