Palestinian Embassy In Jakarta Asks Indonesia To Take Steps To Encourage Intervention On Israel

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JAKARTA - The Palestinian government, through the Palestinian Embassy in Jakarta, is asking the Indonesian government to take intervention measures and use international legal mechanisms to hold Israel accountable for "persistent violations of Palestinians."

"We strongly appeal to the Indonesian government and all independent Palestinian supporters in this country to intervene and activate the mechanisms of international law and international humanitarian law, to hold Israel accountable for the ongoing attacks on Palestinian civilians," the Palestinian Embassy's written statement, referring to the Nakba commemorations, was reported monday, May 17.

Every year on May 15, Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, which has been called a disaster that has been going on since 1948.

"Nakba is the root cause of what we are witnessing today in occupied Palestine. This is the root of our ongoing suffering," the Palestinian Embassy in Jakarta said.

According to the statement, the Nakba refers to the massive expulsion and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian towns, villages, and communities at the hands of Jewish extremist settler groups, where Palestinians are forced out of their places and never allowed to return.

"Nakba is not a past occurrence, but it is still ongoing. For Israel, taking 78 percent of historic Palestine by force is not enough. Land theft, expulsion, and suppression never stop a single day [...] Attacks on Palestinian society can only be understood through this context."

Today, tensions are still rising, with Israel launching dozens of airstrikes in Gaza and the militant group Hamas continuing to carry out rocket attacks on Israeli cities in a battle that entered its second week on Monday.

Earlier, Israeli military personnel expelled Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah area of Jerusalem. Attacks also took place at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan, "and before Palestinians celebrate Orthodox Easter, this is a deliberate attempt by occupying forces to light a greater fire."

According to the Palestinian Embassy, Gaza, which is now under permanent siege and has been cut off from ties with the world for 15 years, is suffering the worst attack, with thousands injured, and more than 200 people killed including women and children.

"All of this is happening under close vision and 'very worrying' from the international community," said the Palestinian Embassy, which said israeli-purchased weapons and surveillance technology had been tested against the Palestinians.

"It's time to acknowledge that if a country made up of the majority of refugees, is under foreign occupation, and is confined to shrinking fragments of land and under permanent threat from armed settler groups, one side cannot maintain a 'neutral' stance".

Therefore, the Palestinian government urges the international community to take the necessary steps to help stop human rights violations and war crimes committed by Israel, including to the Indonesian government.

Indonesia itself is one of the countries that vocally voiced its support for the Palestinian struggle in realizing independence from Israeli occupation.

This has been affirmed by the Indonesian government, both by President Joko Widodo, and through the Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

"Justice must be created for the Palestinian people. And I emphasize that Indonesia will continue to support the Palestinian struggle," Foreign Minister Retno said in a virtual press conference discussing the development of the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).