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comment by Justice and Human Rights minister Patrialis Akbar saying that terrorists should bomb Israel for the country’s cruel treatment of Palestinians has prompted criticism from Israel.

In an interview with Al Jazeera TV a week ago, Patrialis said that terrorists should not make Indonesia their target because the source of their conflict was Israel.

“If Indonesians are angry with Israel, they should not have carried out bomb attacks here, but rather in Israel instead. They could make themselves heroes and sow seeds of praises that way,” he said.

Indonesian officials previously said that Israel’s occupation of Palestine had triggered terrorist attacks elsewhere, with Indonesia becoming one of the main targets, although Jakarta has never supported Israel’s policy toward Palestine.

Indonesia has been rocked by several major bomb attacks, the latest a double bombing of two luxurious hotels in Jakarta last July. Other major attacks killed hundreds in Bali in 2002 and 2005.

The interview with Patrialis had been intended to discuss his ministry’s role in deradicalizing members of Jamaah Islamiyah, a group that was allegedly behind terror acts in Indonesia.

“We can fund them and protect their families here ... If they go to Israel — I will totally support that,” Patrialis said. However, Patrialis later toned down his words, saying he did not encourage violence.

“We are looking for options to help Palestinians... we want to help Palestinians and we think those terrorist have wrongly turned against us,” he said.

Indonesia has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, while Jakarta has no diplomatic ties with Israel. Jakarta strongly condemned Israeli attacks against an international aid flotilla bound for Gaza last month.

Indonesia also strongly denounced Israeli for its major offensive targeting Hezbollah in Gaza in December 2008.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that it was “immoral and illegal to encourage terrorist actions in one country or anywhere.” “Experience has shown that this will only backfire... He should be very careful with what he says,” Palmor told Al Jazeera TV.

Dino Patti Djalal, a spokesman for the Indonesian President, said that Patrialis had only been expressing his frustration and that his words did not represent Jakarta’s position.

“There was a lot of anger in the Indonesian community because some Indonesians were on that boat [aid flotilla] and were hurt,” Dino told Al Jazeera TV. “He was only expressing his frustration with the situation.”