Indonesia strongly objects to US’ plan to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

Indonesia showed its unwavering support for Palestine once again by officially taking a stance against the US’ highly contentious plan to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Agus Maftuh Abegebriel, Indonesia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Indonesia’s representative at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation — a collective of 57 Muslim member states — expressed strong disapproval of the plan during an extraordinary general meeting among group members in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia yesterday.

“This step is a misguided one that could disrupt the peace process in the region. Indonesia is very worried about the negative effects of moving the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Agus said, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.

“Indonesia’s Foreign Minister (Retno Marsudi) plans to convey this deep worry about the plan to US Foreign Secretary Rex Tillerson, with the hope that the US can appeal to its wisdom and continue actively supporting the peace process between Palestine and Israel.”

US President Donald Trump is expected to follow through on his campaign promise to evangelicals and the pro-Israel American Jewish community to move the embassy to Jerusalem, thereby officially recognizing it as Israel’s capital. Trump will reportedly formally announce this recognition during a speech at the White House today, becoming the first American president to take that bold step since Israel was founded in 1948.

Islamic leaders around the world have condemned the move, warning that it could have disastrous consequences in the turbulent region.

Jerusalem is one of the most fiercely contested cities in the world, owing to millennia-old disputes between religions over the region. The city is the holiest site in Judaism as well as being home to one of the three sacred mosques in Islam, the Madjid al-Aqsa. Politically, both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem to be their capital, though neither claim has so far been widely recognized internationally.

Indonesia enjoys strong diplomatic relations with Palestine — Indonesia being one of the first countries to recognize the struggling Islamic nation as an independent state.