REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Ikhwanul Kiram Mashuri

Good news came from the Vatican in mid-May. The smallest country in the world has added the long list of European countries that recognized the Palestinian state. Last year, the European Parliament, England, Ireland, Spain, and France have approved a motion to support a Palestinian state. Previously, the firm steps have taken by Sweden, when it was officially recognized Palestine as an independent state.

Then what was the meaning behind the Vatican's recognition of a Palestinian state? First, the independence of the Palestinian people is not just a matter of people of a particular religion. Take for example the Muslims. Because, in fact, every religious community refuse or even oppose the occupation of a nation against another nation. Every religion also teaches its followers to defend oppressed people.

Therefore, it could be understood if the international community were angry about the injustice which now suffered by Rohingya and Yazidis ethnic. Rohingya tribe whom for years has been living in Myanmar was considered as not local citizens. Many of those whom now fled and became refugees in Indonesia and Malaysia. Meanwhile, Yazidi tribe has suffered tremendously due to be treated outside of humanity by those who claim themselves as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Therefore, the perpetrators of barbarity like Israel, Myanmar, and ISIS worth mentioning as barbarians.

Secondly, Vatican’s recognition for Palestine has given new hope to the nation's independence which has occupied for decades by Zionist of Israel. The new hope, because in the Arab countries, the Palestinians' struggle for independence has now started to be forgotten. The leaders of the Arab countries are more preoccupied with domestic issues respectively.

Thirdly, the recognition will further isolate the Israeli in the association between nations. Because, although the Vatican is the smallest country in the world, but spiritually influence beyond the borders of the country. Therefore, it was not surprising that the Zionist Israel, as quoted by Middle East observers, Imil Amin, considered the Vatican's recognition of a Palestinian state as al Tsunami al Vatikany alias Tsunami’s Vatican.

Called as tsunamis, because this recognition will damage the image of Israel as a country that has been already bad. Among the bad image, Israel is regarded as a racist state. The latter will be stronger again when parliament endorsed a draft law that has been proposed by the government that 'Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people'.

Or in other words, those who are Jewish are first-class citizens, while Arabs are citizen’s goat class. It was evidenced by the release of rules that forbid Arab citizens in same vehicle with Jewish residents. Because of the protests of the international community, this regulation eventually canceled by Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

In historical records, the Vatican relationship with Israel actually never walked tenderly. Noted, the Vatican ever refused a request by protagonist of international Zionist movement, Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), to establish the state of Israel on Palestinian homeland.

This rejection repeated again in the time of Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), when he saw a flood of Jewish immigrants from various countries to the Palestinian homeland. In his view, bad luck will befall to Madinatul al Quds (Jerusalem) when controlled by the Jews. For the record, Madinatu al Quds are holy places of three religions: Islam, Christian and Jewish.

So why the Vatican's recognition of a Palestinian state is now considered as a tsunami? Israeli leaders seemed to know very well about the influence of the Vatican. Although the country is small, but its spiritual influence (read: religious) could be global. There are about 2.3 billion Christians around the world and 1.3 billion of them are Catholics who directly oriented to Rome (the Vatican).

The Catholics are spread across five continents. They have been and will continue to influence and shape public opinion - directly or indirectly - in many countries, both political, economic, social, and cultural. Founder and also the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, ever felt worried about this attitude of Vatican. '' The Vatican is indeed small, but how many millions of people who can be influenced by its,” he said one time.

Ben-Gurion's concern was not without foundation. Assertion of pro-Palestinian spiritual leader among Catholics was proved to have been encouraging the countries in Europe and parliament to recognize the independence of the Palestinian state. In France, for example. Although the state system is secular, but in spiritual majority of people in a country known for Eiffel tower is strongly influenced by Catholic values. Therefore, there was nothing strange when Parliament asked French President, Francois Hollande, for immediately filed recognition of the Palestinian State to the UN Security Council.

At the same time, Chairman of the Foreign Policy of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, also has expressed her wish to take an important role on Palestinian-Israeli agreement process, replacing the role of the United States (US) so far. During the administration of President Barack Obama, the US has been failing to facilitate the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations because it was too biased to the interests of the Jewish state.

Not only in Europe. Vatican influence is strong in a number of countries in Latin America and Central Africa. In Argentina, for example. Catholic influence in state of Evita Peron is very strong. Therefore, the Argentine who became non-permanent member of the UN Security Council has always supported the interests of the Palestinian people.

Vatican relations with the Palestinians during this time were going well. Good relationship that has been started since Yasir Arafat became chairman of the PLO (Palestine Leberation Organisation) in the 1970s and later became Palestinian’s president. That relationship was getting better on the period of Pope Yohanes Paulus II (1978-2005).

Both figures were already held several bilateral meetings in Vatican. Each time of the meeting, Pope Yohanes Paulus II has always promised to help and support the emergence of an independent of Palestinian state.

The question is, how to utilize the Vatican's recognition to accelerate the birth of an independent of Palestinian state which fully sovereign in their own land? This is where countries with a Muslim majority whom are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are required to move quickly. OIC should immediately take the initiative to organize a meeting with the leaders of the organization or the Vatican and other world religious institutions, either in the form of Summit meeting, a seminar, a joint statement, or in any other form. Indonesia is the largest Muslim population in the world should take the initiative.

Essentially, religious people around the world are rejecting the occupation in any form. Therefore, the occupation and the Israeli crimes against the Palestinians which have lasted for decades must be resisted. Views of religious leaders around the world should be the suppressor power for Israel and its supporters (read: the US). If they are stubborn, they, especially the Zionist Israel, should be excluded from the association world.

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