Indonesia Should Step Up Political Diplomacy To Free Palestine: MP

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Indonesia should step up political diplomacy to free Palestine from the Israeli occupation and take the country to the International Criminal Court, a legislator stated.

"However, we have seen that Indonesia's diplomacy is limited to humanitarian diplomacy, and it even tends to be neutral. The political diplomacy of Indonesia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must be firmly pro-Palestine," Ahmad Zainuddin, member of Commission I of the House of Representatives, noted here recently.

Indonesia should lobby with the OIC and the world to take Israel to the International Criminal Court and formulate a road map for the freedom of Palestine, he stated.

He lauded Indonesia's progress in providing humanitarian aid and facilitating capacity building in Palestine, such as by holding several training courses for the Palestinian youth, building a hospital in Gaza, sending logistics assistance to help Palestinians, and appointing an honorary consul in Ramallah.

The politician from the Justice Prosperous Party (PKS), however, believes that humanitarian aid alone is not sufficient.

"As the nation with the world's largest Muslim population, Indonesia must become a pioneer in liberating Palestine," he stated.

Indonesia must take steps to stop the illegal occupation of Israel, which is seizing more Palestinian land and evicting increasing number of Palestinian people.

He hoped that the upcoming extraordinary summit of the OIC to be held in Jakarta on March 6-7, 2016, would not merely become a routine ceremonial activity.

The lawmaker urged the OIC member countries, including Indonesia, to be more serious in pushing for the freedom of Palestine and pressing Israel to return the Palestinian land invaded since 1948.

"President Jokowi must be able to push the OIC and to become a pioneer in freeing Palestine. Indonesia has to be an initiator of a road map for the freedom of Palestine," Zainuddin added. (WDY)