Hidayat Nur Wahid: Calling Visa for Israel is A Soft Diplomacy
Jakarta, MINA – Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly Dr. H. M Hidayat Nur Wahid, MA regretted the attitude of President Joko Widodo who allowed the activation of calling visas for Israel.
Moreover, the activation of calling visas is suspected to be part of soft diplomacy to normalize political relations with Israel.
Whereas between Indonesia and Israel there is no diplomatic relationship. Moreover, previously President Jokowi has publicly stated his call for a boycott of Israel, as a form of support for the Palestinian cause.
“In 2016, President Jokowi heroically called and invited Muslim countries at the Organization for Islamic Cooperation Summit to boycott Israel. The Indonesian government should really fight for this call, instead of activating calling visas for Israel, “Hidayat said through a press release in Jakarta on Thursday.
HNW, Hidayat’s nickname, is worried that with the reactivation of calling visas for Israel, this could lead to the normalization of relations and the opening of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Because since the era of President Soekarno that normalization has been rejected.
“Bung Karno once emphasized that as long as Israel was still colonizing Palestine, during that time Indonesia did not open relations with Israel,” he said.
Hidayat reminded that President Soekarno’s statement could be understood because it was in accordance with the mandate of the opening of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (UUD NKRI).
“Freedom is the right of all nations and therefore colonialism in the world must be abolished, because it is not in accordance with humanity and justice.”
The fact is Israel is still occupying Palestine. Meanwhile, President Jokowi has also stated that Indonesia still has debts, namely Palestinian independence. Because of all the countries invited to attend the Asia Africa Summit in Bandung in 1955, all of these countries were already independent, except for Palestine. That should be the focus of the government.
Indonesia even needs to maximize these efforts, both in its position as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a member of the Human Rights Council. LNot even opening the opposite loophole, by allowing Israeli calling visa. Therefore, President Jokowi needs to immediately order the Director General of Immigration to cancel the Israeli calling visa project.
The deputy chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Syuro Council said normalizing relations with Israel would not succeed in creating an independent Palestine. The excuse usually put forward by propagandists is the normalization of relations with Israel. And this is evident when referring to the experiences of countries that have opened relations with Israel.
“Recently, after normalization with a number of countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, Israeli PM Netanyahu did not claim recognition of Palestine as an independent state with the capital of East Jerusalem, but instead emphasized the claim that Israel is a state for the Jewish nation only. And Jerusalem is entirely the capital of Israel. Therefore, it is natural that Palestine is the first party who always rejects normalization of relations with Israel, “he said.
HNW hopes that President Jokowi will direct Indonesia to join the international Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Israeli products from illegal occupation.
Apart from that, it is also necessary to build relationships with a number of countries that are pro-human rights, such as Ireland which is preparing the Bill on Boycott of Israeli Products.
“Our constitution states that Indonesia is a rule of law that respects human rights. There are many articles in the 1945 Constitution which regulate human rights. It is time for Indonesia to participate in upholding international law so that it is upheld against Israel, as well as defending Palestinian independence and the human rights of the Palestinian people which Israel has always violated, “he concluded. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
