Moya Institute: Indonesia’s Bargaining Power is Great in the Struggle for Palestine
Jakarta – Former Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Ukraine, Yuddy Chrisnandi, highlighted the urgency of Indonesia’s role in resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In the webinar “Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Opportunities for Resolution” organized by the Moya Institute on Friday (17/11/2023), Yuddy revealed that Indonesia’s concrete actions were expected by the international community.
“OIC countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates do not have as much bargaining power as Indonesia in voicing the interests of Muslims,” said Yuddy.
According to Yuddy, Indonesia has a significant number of Muslims, more than all Muslims in Arab countries combined. This makes Indonesia have a long-awaited role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially when the attitude of Arab countries towards the conflict is still unclear.
The General Secretary of PP Muhammadiyah, Prof. Abdul Mu’ti, views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from two main dimensions.
First, the theological dimension, which was triggered by the theological claims of the Zionists who consider the land of Palestine to be the land of their ancestors. Second, the political dimension, which gives rise to the view that a political solution, especially a two-state solution, is the most logical step to resolve the conflict.
“And a two-state solution or a two-state solution is the most logical solution for resolving the conflict between the two nations, because according to the Israeli people they also have the right to live in that area, it’s just that so far they have been occupying Palestinian land, which is considered colonialism. ” explained Mu’ti.
Muhammadiyah supports a two-state solution as a more appropriate way to end the conflict, considering that the right of the Israeli people to live in the region is in line with the rights of the Palestinian people. This solution is considered a middle way to overcome the political and theological tensions underlying the conflict.
Chancellor of General Achmad Yani University, Prof. Dr. Hikmahanto Juwana also highlighted the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is considered a war criminal for the attack on Gaza, Palestine.
However, legal challenges arise because Israel is not a member of the Rome Statute (1998), which allows trials by the International Criminal Court (ICC). An alternative is through a UN Security Council resolution, although a possible veto by the US could be an obstacle.
“But, in the future, the US will definitely veto this at the UN Security Council, so the world body will actually be like a ‘toothless tiger’,” said Hikmahanto.
Meanwhile, observer of strategic and global issues, Prof. Imron Cotan, conveyed the basic differences between Jews and the Zionist movement.
He emphasized that Jews are generally good, because they have the same religious rules as Islam. On the other hand, the Zionist movement is a political effort to establish a Jewish state on Palestinian land, rejecting the existence of a Palestinian state. The extreme right group led by Benjamin Netanyahu is considered to have significant influence in the Israeli government.
Therefore, it is not surprising that some time ago one of the Israeli Ministers, Amihay Eliyahu, stated that it would be better if a nuclear bomb were dropped on Gaza. Even though the casualties on the Palestinian side have reached 12,000, half of them are babies and children.
“Eliyahu’s statement is deeply regretted by various groups, because after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the world was guided by the nuclear taboo, which holds the view that although certain countries are allowed to have nuclear weapons, they are morally not permitted to use them,” explained Imron.
The Executive Director of the Moya Institute, Hery Sucipto, expressed deep concern about the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, especially considering the number of child victims which reached more than 50 percent of the total victims.
“Because of this, the Moya Institute took the initiative to hold this webinar to analyze developments that have occurred, read about possible potential solutions, including reviewing possible steps that Indonesia could take to play a more active role in efforts to create peace between Palestine and Israel,” said Hery.
In the context of resistance, the Moya Institute emphasizes that Palestinian forces have the right to take steps to free themselves from Israeli colonialism.
However, it should be remembered that the response of major countries, especially the US, tends to view Israel’s right to defend itself, ignoring the fact that the Palestinian people have been oppressed for 75 years.
It is hoped that this webinar can become a basis for Indonesia to play an active role in efforts to achieve peace in a region hit by long conflict.
