WASHINGTON Feb 9, (IslamOnline) - In a damning revelation, the Suratkabar daily reports that Indonesia has secretly opened trade relations with Israel.
Two weeks ago, Indonesian officials denied that an Indonesian trade ban on Israel was lifted after Israeli news agencies reported that the Israeli government received a letter from Indonesian Trade and Industry Minister Luhut Pandjaitan saying trade could resume.
But Zhulkifli Zaman Khan, consultant to the state-owned insurance firm PT Asuransi Jasindo says, "Trade between private sectors in both countries is allowed. There have been no more restrictive or prohibitive laws on the Indonesian side since February 2000."
Suratkabar also reports that despite official denials, copies of Pandjaitan's letter are being circulated in Tel Aviv and Jakarta.
But Khan states that allowing private sector trade does not constitute full resumption of trade relations. "If the government says there are no trade relations between Indonesia and Israel, they are telling the truth. Because what we have here are private sector relations," he said.
"There are no relations between the governments, they have to recognize each other first [on a diplomatic level] before they can do something together."
Jasindo is reported to be the first company to have resumed trade with Israel after the ban was lifted last year, after it signed a cooperative agreement with Credit Risk Insurance Assure, a member of Israel Land Development Insurance Holdings.
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid had stated as far back as late 1999 that he wants formal ties with Israel restored, but backed out after protests from Islamic groups.
Faced with possible impeachment and violent opposition in Jakarta, this latest revelation could prove to be the last nail in the already embattled Wahid's political coffin.
