Indonesia\'s Role for Palestine
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US President Donald Trump\'s official acknowledgement of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel and his vow to relocate the US Embassy to the holy city are devastating.
The policy openly disregards a number of the international provisions, such as United Nations Resolution 181 (1947), which determines Jerusalem as an international city, UN Resolution 252 (1968), which insists Israel stop all of its activities in Jerusalem, UN Resolution 298 (1971), which says that all Israeli activities to change the status of Jerusalem violate the law, and a number of other provisions.
On the other hand, Trump\'s policy is in line with a US law endorsed in 1995 in regarding the embassy being located in Jerusalem (as mentioned in Trump\'s speech). And it is true that Trump and his supporters believe that the policy is in the interest of the US. It is also possibly true that the policy will be helpful for Trump in terms of domestic politics, especially at a time when he is under pressure over allegations concerning his victory in the presidential election.
However, as a president of a superpower, Trump not only has to uphold the law but also a number of international provisions, especially UN resolutions. Trump also has to think about interests, peace and world order. Moreover, the US has thus far aggressively sponsored a number of peace initiatives, including as a mediator in the efforts to settle the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Civil wars
On the other side, Trump\'s policy was announced at a time a number of Middle east countries are facing civil war and complicated problems, especially the post-Arab Spring. These countries used to be supporters and part of the "big family" that included Palestine. Today\'s situation makes Palestine like an orphan.
Egypt, which has always been in the front row in defending Palestine, has been hit by serious economic and security problems. Syria has been devastated by prolonged civil war, as are Libya and Yemen. The situation is more or less the same as that experienced by Iraq after the US attack it in 2003, when a large portion of its territory was controlled by militant groups of the Islamic State (IS) group, even though Iraq managed to take back control and announced its victory over IS.
According to various sources, the countries are at the stage of deploying best military experts to the battlefields to win the war.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Iran are in an interlocking position, especially with regard to the civil war in Syria and war in Yemen. In the Syrian civil war, these countries (except Iran) used to be in one bloc to support anti-Bashar al-Assad revolution groups together with a number of Western countries, including the US. However, for unknown reasons, Turkey made a zigzag political maneuver and recently became closer to Iran, Russia and other parties that have supported Bashar al-Assad since the start of the conflict.
Saudi Arabia continues to consistently oppose Al-Assad, who is considered an extension of Iran in the region. Saudi Arabia recently led a coalition of Arab countries to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen who were supported by Iran. It was carried out by Saudi Arabia to curtail Iran in the Arab world.
Anti-Iran sentiment, which is very strong in Saudi Arabia, has brought the oil-rich country closer to several other Arab countries (Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates) and isolated another oil-rich country in the Gulf, namely Qatar. Besides being accused of supporting and funding terrorist groups, Qatar is also considered to be too soft on Iran. Saudi Arabia-Turkey relations recently worsened as Turkey has cooperated with and supported Qatar.
Empty support
Under such circumstance, what can be done for Palestine? Nothing, except simply criticism condemnation against the US. What can be carried out on the behalf of Palestine is the opposite to what these they have done in Syria and Yemen. According to various sources, the countries are at the stage of deploying best military experts to the battlefields to win the war.
Indonesia\'s role
In the context of Middle East countries and other Muslim-majority countries, Indonesia can play an important role for Palestine as Indonesia does not have many internal problems. Because Indonesia has strategic relations with other countries, it can play an optimal role in the efforts to settle the Israel-Palestine conflict. Indonesia has good relations with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and others. Indonesia also has close relations with the US, Europe, Russia and China as parties that play important roles in the global political arena, including in issues concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Therefore, with such big capital, Indonesia can encourage settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict through three ways, namely in the domains of internal Palestine issues, Middle East or Muslim-majority countries and in the global domain.
The vision of rahmatan lil ’alamin in Islam can be used as a big umbrella to unite those countries that support the Palestinian struggle.
In the context of the Palestine domain, efforts of reconciliation among internal Palestine factions has to be strengthened, especial between Fatah, which tends to choose a peaceful struggle, and Hamas, which tends to wage an armed struggle. Reconciliation is urgently needed to create a united Palestine.
From the reconciliation, Palestine can carry out internal strengthening, especially among state agencies so that they can create a government that is strong, clean and trusted by its people.
In the domain of Middle East or Muslim-majority countries, Indonesia can invite all relevant countries to be united and reduce conflict that is sectarian in nature and related to political power. The vision of rahmatan lil ’alamin (grace for the universe) in Islam can be used as a big umbrella to unite those countries that support the Palestinian struggle.
Meanwhile, in the global domain, Indonesia can encourage powerful countries to pay serious attention to the problem by becoming just and trusted mediators for both sides. This is important because, even though the Israel-Palestine conflict is purely political, it has a direct impact on religious life. This is so because the territories being disputed are sacred places to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.
Settling this problem peacefully once and for all is the same as blocking the potential for global conflict. Settling the problem in an unjust way would be the same as opening the door to global conflict.
HASIBULLAH SATRAWI
Alumnus of Al-Azhar, Cairo, Egypt; observer of Middle East politics and the Islamic world
