Indonesia to Reconcile Hamas-Fatah Leaders: VP

Makassar, South Sulawesi, 25 Jumadil Awwal 1437/05 March 2016 (MINA) – Indonesia plans to encourage leaders of Hamas and Fatah, at the upcoming 5th OIC Summit, to reconcile with each other to realize the goal of Palestinian independence, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said here on Friday.

“The OIC Extraordinary Summit will discuss Palestine with regard to settling conflicts. What is important for Indonesia is how Hamas
and Fatah, West Bank and Gaza, would unite,” he said.

He said if the leaders of the Palestinian groups continued to argue, it would be difficult for Islamic countries to support
Palestinian independence.

“If they are still separated and involved in conflict, how can they solve their own problems?” he asked.

The two-day summit will be held in Jakarta on Sunday and Monday, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Antara News.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the Indonesian governments decision to honor the request of the secretary general of the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation to host an extraordinary summit was based on a desire to do something for Palestine.

“The options were to either do nothing or do something and we have chosen to do something,” she said. (R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)