VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council, Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, reiterated his request to the Indonesian government to remain consistent in not normalizing diplomatic ties with Israel.

"All means of cooperation, including economic cooperation with Israel, must be rejected," he told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Israel, he said, has colonized the land and the people of Palestine for a long period of time. Indonesia needs to stay consistent to its identity as a nation against colonization, he added.

"We fully believe that colonization is not aligned with humanity and justice," he remarked.

The council, he continued, has expressed its highest appreciations towards the Minister of Foreign Affairs in responding to the question of normalization of diplomatic ties with Israel.

"The Ministry, especially the Minister of Foreign Affairs, that has shown a firm, clear, and consistent stance in carrying out Indonesia's foreign politics, that stood against colonization from the beginning," he said.

If Israel's occupation of Palestine is allowed, world peace and solidarity cannot be achieved, he added.

The world community must know that the beliefs and firm views of the Indonesian people against imperialism have served as the guiding principles of the foreign policy of the Republic of Indonesia since its independence, he observed.

"The Indonesian Ulema Council asks the government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to continue to fight on the world stage for the independence of the Palestinian people. The council will always provide full support for efforts to fight Israeli imperialism," he said. (antaranews)