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Indonesia should do more in Gaza
Following the expiration of the six-month Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agreement, Hamas militantsclaiming that Israel had violated the truce - began to fire rockets at Israel although no significant damage was reported
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Following the expiration of the six-month Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agreement, Hamas militantsclaiming that Israel had violated the truce - began to fire rockets at Israel although no significant damage was reported.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak stated that its government has engaged in anwar with Hamas, and this war is thought to be one of the deadliest military operations since Israel's occupation of Gaza in 1967.
Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since ousting the moderate Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June last year.
Israel went further by prohibiting news organizations from entering Gaza, an ironic move for a country that prides itself as the healthiest democracy in the Middle East.
While the United States maintains that Israel has the right to self-defense and blames Hamas for provoking the conflict, Muslim nations around the world condemn Israel over the deadly attacks. Reacting to Israel's military offensive, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon asked for an immediate cease-fire, and requested Israel allow humanitarian supplies and aid workers into Gaza.
In Indonesia, several Islamic groups plan to send volunteers to Gaza. For example, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has prepared 20 individuals to provide medical assistance to Gazans.
Muhammadiyah, which recently signed a medical cooperation agreement with Israel's first-response organization, will send six surgeons as well as medical and logistics supplies.
With a more aggressive plan, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), announced it would recruit as many as 1,500 mujahideen to be sent to defend Gaza and fight Israel.
During a recent protest in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta, FPI's coordinator Awit Masyuri also said that each of these "fighters" would receive training for a week before being deployed to the battlefield (Dec. 31, 2008, Kompas).
FPI's secretary-general Ahmad S. Lubis added,should be in good physical conditionand be ready to die - and are provided with a one-way ticket until we defeat Israel" (Dec. 29, 2008, The Straits Times). This view is also supported by Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, an international pan-Islamist party, whose spokesman, Farid Wajri, has urged all Muslim countries to send not only medical aid but also fighters.
While sympathizing with the Palestinians and persistently supporting their rights and sovereignty is a must, sending Indonesian "volunteers" to fight alongside the Gazans may not be the best option for Indonesians.
Indonesians need to be careful in fighting for the Palestinians in Gaza. A few countries, such as the United States, Canada, Japan and the EU, designate Hamas as a terrorist group, while the UK and Australia classify its military wing as such. Thus, defending the Hamas-controlled Gaza might be interpreted by some as defending a terrorist group.
Furthermore, the mujahideen to-be should realize that their participation could put them at risk of losing their Indonesian citizenship. The citizenship law No. 12/2006 Article 23(e) and (f) could be used to strip them of their nationality, as their involvement may be interpreted as serving in a foreign force.
Finally, by deploying Indonesians to the battleground, we would put these men in harm's way, as they may lose their lives fighting a military equipped with some of the world's most advanced weapons and technology.
In this case, the Indonesian government needs to take a more active role in urging these volunteers not to leave for Gaza. It also needs to be more involved in helping the Gazans, and to assure Indonesians that the Palestinians are being helped.
Indonesia should do more than just urge the UN Security Council to issue a resolution to halt Israeli strikes, or send US$1 million in cash and Rp 2 billion (US$179,000) worth of medical aid to Gaza.
The writer is Ph.D. Candidate at the Center for Public Administration and Policy, Virginia Tech University.
