War on Gaza: How should we respond?

This article has been published by the Jakarta Post on February, 23rd, 2009
By: Ristian Atriandi*

For well over 60 years Indonesia has been a champion of Palestinian independence. This unwavering support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state was, and is still, the basis of Indonesian foreign policy toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the wider Arab world.

Nevertheless, Indonesia should also understand that a libertarian, or Kantian, notion of world politics does not always play to one’s expectations, as we’ve seen in Gaza where atrocities are being committed resulting in a humanitarian crisis. In fact, this conflict is not entirely new in nature; it is the consequence of more than sixty years of historical animosity and deep hatred between the two nations.

Indonesians need to understand that the idea of a two-state solution, that Palestine and Israel will someday live in peaceful co-existence as two sovereign entities, is not wholly supported by domestic constituents of both parties. Right-wing, hawkish camps are existent on both sides and continue to dominate policy.

This is what the war is all about, as both camps are unwilling to make even small concessions. Furthermore, the international community has done little to pressure both parties to agree on even a temporary cease-fire.

The UN has not only been mocked by the international media because of its inept attempts to stop the war, but has also been marred by internal differences, as shown in the Security Council. Given the current situation, how should Indonesia respond?

First, Indonesia needs the courage to criticize both. Indonesia needs to convince both warring parties that prolonging the conflict would only bring misery and more atrocities as well as sowing the seeds of vengeance in younger generation.

This is the first step toward Indonesia being deemed, by both sides as well as the international community, as balanced and objective in its view of the situation.
Therefore, extreme religious rhetoric and bigotry, including calls to wage jihad to kill as many Jews as possible or closing down a place of worship as happened in Surabaya, have not only tarnished Indonesia’s image as a tolerant, moderate, Muslim country, able to put itself in the middle of negotiating table, but it also implies that Indonesia indirectly justifies Israeli “jihad” against the Palestinians as well.

However, on the other hand, Indonesia must be able to put itself in the “hawkish” camps’ position – that is, to understand that this conflict started not just over a month ago, but it is only one part of more than 60 years of resentment, dating back to the formation of the state of Israel or even to the concept of a “homeland for Jewish people.”

This is a fact that the West and the international community often miss, if not ignore, thus giving the perception a just and durable peace in the holy land is all but a dream. And, this is also why most Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations or agreements are short-lived.

Second, the failure of the diplomatic process by the United Nations in implementing Resolution No. 1860 does not mean the end of a peaceful solution per se.

The problem is that there are just not enough united voices in opposition to the war, both in the Security Council and the General Assembly. In the Security Council, the most dominant countries so far have been the “Western side”, the United States, Britain, and France, while Russia and China have not seemed very enthusiastically involved in ending the war (in sharp contrast to how they blocked the Western-initiated UN resolution to impose sanctions against Myanmar’s military junta after the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in the country in late 2007).

In the meantime, the Arab and Muslim worlds are expected to be united in facing Israel and convincing the Palestinians to prioritize peace. However, Arab countries are too deeply divided among themselves to voice their concern toward the Palestinians (even Al Jazeera’s English news channel aired a program called the “Arab Divide” in its coverage of the “War on Gaza”).

Indonesia should fill this gap and seize the opportunity to lead a united stand against the war and reassure the Palestinians that they have not been left alone to face the Israeli onslaught.
Last but not least, Indonesia needs to propose that the United Nations open a full investigation into the war, including human rights violations committed by both sides and bring those responsible to justice. Only by winning the trust of both Palestine and Israel, can Indonesia play an effective role in helping bring peace to the Middle East.

*The writer works at the Research Division, Syndicate for Indonesian Transformation, the University of Indonesia.