JAKARTA - Today's memory, five years ago, December 15, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) responded to the issue of Indonesia normalizing relations with Israel. The authority considers that the narrative will not happen. Indonesia has always sided with Palestine as voiced by the first President of Indonesia, Sukarno.
Previously, the trend of Middle Eastern countries normalizing relations with Israel increased, from Bahrain to Morocco. The narrative made international media speculate that Indonesia would follow the normalization step.
Previously, the majority of Middle Eastern countries who were unwilling to normalize relations with Israel were in a hurry. Israel's cruelty to annex Palestinian territory was the reason. Israel is considered an occupier in the modern era. However, the turn of the time has begun to change many things.
The Middle Eastern countries that used to be hostile to Israel began to open up. Take 2020 for example. These countries include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. This step angered the Palestinian government.
They consider the normalization of relations with Israel as a betrayal. Moreover, if the reason is so that the Israel-Palestinian peace can be achieved. The narrative is seen as not easy to materialize.
English:
Unlike the Palestinians, the United States (US) considers the normalization of relations between the Middle Eastern countries and Israel as a historic event. Israel's allies are proud to be intermediaries.
The Prime Minister (PM) of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, was no less excited. He considers that many countries that normalize relations are a new dawn of peace. Netanyahu urged other countries to be able to do the same.
"Today is a turning point in history; it marks a new dawn of peace," Netanyahu said, as quoted by the BBC Indonesia website, September 15, 2020.
The news of the normalization of relations between countries in the Middle East brought a commotion. Pro and cons emerged. So too with speculation from other countries who are queuing up to normalize relations with Israel.
Uniquely, foreign media such as The Guardian and the Israeli newspaper, The Jerusalem Post, issued an analysis of Indonesia's normalization of relations with Israel. The commotion arose - especially in Indonesia. All Indonesians did not accept it.
This condition is because Indonesia's attitude has never changed. Indonesia has always been supporting the Palestinian people's struggle. The presence of analysis from foreign media is considered a disgrace.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately dismissed the issue of normalizing relations with Israel on December 15, 2020. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assumes that Indonesia's attitude has never changed. Indonesia has expressed support for Palestine since the time of President Sukarno.
Indonesia also actively invites other countries to support Palestine. As a result, during that time Indonesia never had contact with Israel. Indonesia also never thought about normalization.
"The Foreign Ministry has never had contact with Israel," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah, as quoted by the BBC Indonesia website, December 15, 2020.
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