REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a meeting here on Sunday evening to discuss the Palestinian and Al-Quds Al-Syarif issues.
"This extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is a concrete support of Indonesia and OIC for Palestine," the president said when greeting Abbas.
Jokowi said the summit is expected to build strong unity among OIC member countries in supporting the interests of Palestine and ASEAN in all fields.
In the meeting, the Indonesian president appreciated Palestine for its trust to Indonesia in organizing the Fifth Extraordinary Summit of OIC.
"This is an honor of us for being trusted in hosting the summit to support Palestine and Al Quds Alsyarif," Jokowi said.
The extraordinary summit which will officially be opened on Monday is expected to produce two documents on Palestina and on Al-Quds As Syarif (the Holy City of Jerusalem), namely a resolution and a declaration.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the resolution document will contain the reconfirmation of the OIC members,focussing on Palestine and Jerusalem where the Al-Aqsa Mosque is located.
On the other hand, the declaration document will be more terse and simple containing concrete steps ahead to follow up issues that have been agreed upon by OIC countries with regard to Palestine and Jerusalem.
In the meantime, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)hopes Indonesia would use the summit as a momentum to ask OIC members to help bring peace to the civil wars in the Middle East.
"The OIC extraordinary summit should seek solutions not only to the Palestinian issue but also to the civil wars in the Middle East," MPR Chairman Zulkifli Hasan said here on Sunday.
Zulkifli said that Indonesia should encourage waring parties in the Middle East to cease fire and to hold dialogs or negotiations.
In its capacity as the OIC summit host and as the largest Muslim country, Indonesia should take the lead because it has so far played roles in the Islamic world.
Zulkifli who is also the general chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the OIC in the global political affairs was not so influential.
If Indonesia, in its capacity as the world largest Muslim populated country, takes the lead, it would be accepted by all sides, both by Western and Eastern countries or by the waring parties.
"All sides acknowledge the Indonesian roles and existence," the MPR chairman said.
He said that if Indonesia took the initiative, it would create different influence in the international world.
Therefore, Zulkifli stressed the importance for the Indonesian government to play a significant role in the Middle East peace efforts.
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