PBNU: Without a ceasefire, the Middle East conflict will continue to spread

PBNU hopes that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will occur soon. Without it, it is feared that the conflict will continue to spread.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board urged the Indonesian government and all parties to continue pushing for a ceasefire between conflicting parties, namely Iran and Israel. Without it, the conflict will continue to escalate.

PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf, Thursday (18/4/2024), at the PBNU Office, Jakarta, warned of the escalation of conflict in the Middle East< /a> actually a continuation of the conflict that has been going on since October 2023. For this reason, Nahdlatul Ulama together with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia demand and urge an immediate ceasefire. The violence must stop now so that it does not cause more victims.

PBNU has also urged the UN to act immediately. Permanent members of the UN Security Council should not use veto to defend one party.

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"We have declared this since the beginning. Well, this is NU's effort to also participate in doing something as an expression of our shared concern about the situation there. However, we all know that the parties we have called to stop the violence, we have called to act more justly for the good of all parties, still do not want to follow those calls. For example, the United States, until recently, still vetoed the UN resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza," Yahya said.

We have stated that from the beginning. Now, this is NU's effort to also participate in taking action as an expression of our shared concern regarding the situation that is happening there.

KOMPAS

Israel and Iran Threaten Each Other, Escalation of Middle East Conflict Continues.

More and more people are getting involved

Further, Yahya warned that throughout history, every time a conflict occurs, especially with violence, more and more parties become involved over time.

"That is certain. It's just a matter of time. We know that this started from the conflict in Gaza, between Israel and the Palestinian militants (Hamas) who demand their rights there. And because it has been prolonged, eventually there were involvement from Yemen, including the Yemeni princess. Then now Iran is also involved and so on," added Yahya.

SEPAH NEWS/AFP

One of Iran's drones was released while responding to Israel.

Therefore, if the conflict is left unresolved, it is certain that it will continue to escalate. "So, this is not a matter of Shia or Sunni, but rather a matter of the consequences of prolonged conflict. The consequences of prolonged conflict will surely spread," said Yahya.

Therefore, if conflicts and violence are not stopped immediately, more people will be involved and the violence will continue to spread. Not only that, spaces for radical groups and terrorist groups in the Middle East will have reasons and momentum to rise again. This is very dangerous. "Basically, there is no way to prevent greater damage other than to stop now. Stop now. Stop first. Then we can start talking," he added.

The bottom line is there is no way to prevent further damage except to stop now. Stop now. We've already stopped. Then, we can start talking.

Moreover, Yahya added, the suffering experienced by the community in Gaza has exceeded the limit of what can be borne by humanity. This is the moral responsibility of all human beings and cannot be denied.

Previously, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi explained that the Indonesian government continues to communicate with all parties deemed capable of pressing for an escalation in the Middle East region that does not occur.

When receiving an honorary visit from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (18/4/2024), President Joko Widodo also emphasized that no party wants to see an escalation in the East. Middle. Therefore, support for resolving the Palestinian problem through a two-state solution is needed.

Also read: Iran attacks Israel, conflict is feared to spread

Retno also stated that she communicated with the Hungarian Foreign Minister on Wednesday (April 17, 2024) night because Hungary is known to be quite close with Israel. From the diplomatic communication carried out, according to Retno, all parties hoped to avoid escalation. Therefore, all parties must work hard and use all their influence.

"Therefore, we use our influence to ensure de-escalation occurs. And I convey the results of my discussions with the Iranian Foreign Minister, the Foreign Ministers of Arab countries, and the United States, I will continue to communicate. Because we know that the issue is quite complex, but all parties understand that if the issue of Palestine and Gaza is not resolved, it will be difficult to achieve regional stability in the Middle East," he said after accompanying the President in receiving an honorary visit from China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.