Indonesia Distributes IDR 36.5 Billion of Humanitarian Aid to Palestine

Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian government has disbursed funds of around IDR 36.5 billion as humanitarian aid for Palestinian refugees amid the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and current Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the funds have been distributed to the Palestinian Government and the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), and the International Red Cross (ICRC)

“Indonesia do not only continues to provide political support to Palestine, but also financial support and support in other forms, including the provision of capacity development,” Retno said in a webinar about Israel’s annexation of Palestine held by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) on Thursday.

For its own capacity building program, over a decade, Indonesia has provided more than US $ 8 million which includes 170 types of training for more than 2,000 Palestinians.

“Regarding economic independence, Indonesia has also issued a tax-free policy of 0 percent for two major Palestinian products, namely dates and olives,” Retno said.

“In essence, we walk the talk (we speak up and also take real action),” she added.

Meanwhile, in relation to the Israeli annexation plan for Palestinian land in the West Bank which is now experiencing a formal delay, the Indonesian Parliament in collaboration with the government has sought a vote of the world parliament to oppose the annexation plan.

“A Joint Statement Against Israel’s Annexation was sent to MPs around the world and succeeded in collecting 232 signatures of MPs from 34 countries,” Retno said.

The votes collected are planned to be conveyed in various forums between global and regional parliaments. It is not only by the government, the move against the Israeli annexation plan is also conveyed by the MUI as an institution of Muslim scholars, through the MUI Resolution on Israel’s Imperialistic Attitude towards Palestine.

“Strongly condemning the annexation that has been carried out by the Israeli Government to the Palestinian West Bank region which will only trigger a prolonged conflict and global insecurity,” reads one of the points of the resolution. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)