Israel at 60 looks for miracle on Palestine

Bantarto Bandoro ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 05/09/2008 9:38 AM  |  Opinion

On celebrating the 60th anniversary of the declaration of the establishment of Israel, May 8, Israelis will refer back to their long, controversial, violent and bloody history, in a nation haunted by conflicts of the past.

One side of the coin sees Israel has not only survived but has also flourished possibly due to the political support it gets from certain Western countries who empathize with the faith of Israel. The flip side sees Israel continue to be a target of attacks by Palestinian Arabs.

The celebrations do not automatically mean the country will remain free from possible attacks either. They may even serve to provide momentum to Palestinians intending to again "do" something to the Israelis.

Israel is perhaps the only country in the world whose establishment was approved by the UN, but it is also the only country whose legitimacy has been called into question. The world requires that Israel compromise with its Palestinian Arab neighbors and accede to their demands.

A resolution to the prolonged conflict between Israel and the Palestinians would remain elusive until all those involved accept the real causes of conflict, and recognize its consequences. Thus it is unclear whether the anniversary provides new impetus for fresh peace initiatives, or if Israel may as well mount a major incursion into Gaza to deal with Hamas.

Perhaps the anniversary serves to reflect the uniqueness of the situation Israel is in, as a permanently embattled nation.

To be honest, the situation in the Middle East will not likely achieve progress any time soon.

The situation may look dire, particularly if the Palestinians believe Israelis are using their anniversary as a platform to build strength and confidence. It would not be impossible for the Palestinians and armed Hezbollah to join the celebrations by launching rocket attacks. If that does occur, the post-celebration is likely to see a more unstable and even more menacing situation on the ground.

It is obvious that Israel is trapped in a pincer movement, a psychological attack on the one hand and a military attack on the other. The sources of the attacks may have originated from the Arab-Muslim world as well as the West.

The issue of Israel-Palestine has pushed the world community, according to their respective national interests, into two opposing camps.

Indonesia, since the very beginning, is in support of the establishment of a Palestinian state, thus Israel's anniversary gains very little -- if any -- attention from the government.

What it cares more about is solving the Israel-Palestine conflict through amicable means, and the establishment of an independent state for the Palestinians.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has a strong ambition to play a mediating role in the conflict, but Indonesia can only play such a role if it maintains constant contact with both Palestine and Israel.

For more than three decades the Palestinians have "convinced" Indonesia and other members of world community that Israel is the enemy. It is through this process that Indonesia continues to render "unconditional" support toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Whatever policies Indonesia may initiate in the future with regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict, they will have little impact as long as Indonesia refuses to deal directly with Israel.

We all know Israel is living under an existential siege, and will fight for its survival.

Indonesia cannot help but acknowledge the political reality that perhaps in 60 years' time, Israel will still be there.

The writer is chief editor of The Indonesian Quarterly published by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a lecturer in the International Relations Post-graduate Studies Program at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Indonesia. He can be reached at bandoro@csis.or.id.

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