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Indonesia To Delay Establishment Of Ties With Israel
By Kazi Mahmood for IslamOnline
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indonesia is not ready to open trade ties with Israel declared President Abdurrahman Wahid after a meeting with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday, press reports say.
The Indonesian president vowed that Jakarta would wait until Israel reaches a final peace accord with the Palestinians before any relations with Israel could begin.
"I told the Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, that Indonesia will not open a representative trade office in Israel until there is lasting peace in the Middle East," Abdurrahman said during a press briefing shortly after his arrival in Dubai from a two-day visit to Yemen.
Wahid is on a 15-day tour in the Middle East and will perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia before heading back to Indonesia where ethnic violence is building up into an explosive political furnace in Kalimantan.
Indonesia has unofficial ties with Israel, allows Israeli ministers and other representatives to visit Jakarta on special visas and has sold most of its satellite telecommunication shares to groups linked to George Soros, a Jewish financier.
In the past, Israel sent a delegation to Jakarta that included representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce in a bid to widen ties with the largest Muslim country on earth.
Israeli envoys based in Singapore also visited Jakarta and met with state officials last year.
Wahid has been accused, alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Alwi Shihab, for being pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian following late condemnations of Israeli violence commited against Palestinians in the wake of the beginning of the current Intifada, or uprising, last year.
Observers in Jakarta believe the latest remark is an attempt by Wahid, known for his frivolous statements, to win the hearts of the host countries during this current Middle East tour.
Critics state that Wahid, a member of the ulema in Indonesia and one time leader of the strong and powerful Nhladatul Ulama (NU) political party, should not entertain Israeli businessmen, arguing that their businesses are based mostly on sinful activities, namely prostitution, drugs and money laundering.
However, despite strong disapproval and several demonstrations against ties with Israel, Wahid defended possible ties Israel saying the move would help attract Jewish investment from the United States.
The same critics believe Wahid will have a hard time convincing Arabs of his political will to delay any further deals with Israel, possibly jeopardizing Wahid attempts to lure investment from Arab states and bolstering trade with the Arabian peninsula.
Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D., one of several cabinet ministers traveling with the President, said earlier he would lobby Arab countries to purchase small arms and military planes from Indonesia.
Mahfud said on Friday that his counterpart in Yemen would visit Indonesia in May "to further discuss" possible military cooperation between the two countries.
He also said that his meeting with the Yemeni defense minister on Thursday resulted in an agreement that Yemen's military would import military uniforms from Indonesia.
He added that Yemen would invite "instructors" from the Indonesian Army's Special Force and the Indonesian Navy to help modernize its army.
Shihab, also is traveling with the President, said Indonesia and Yemen have agreed to set up a joint commission to bolster diplomatic and trade ties between one another.
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