REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry assured that the country will not issue visas for Israeli tourists. The statement came as a response to the news saying Indonesia will accept tourist visa application from Israel.

The news was published by Israeli media Haaretz. On May 3, Haaretz said that, "Gorgeous destinations that Israelis could only see in the movies will soon become accessible now that Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, is accepting tourism-visa applications from Israelis."

Haaretz said that the two countries did not have a signed document to justify the issuance of visas for Israeli tourists. However, Indonesia was said to have given the green light since May 1.

Nevertheless, Haaretz did not mention it source. "The news is not true. Indonesia will not issue visas for Israelis," Spokesperson of Indonesia Foreign Affairs Ministry Armanatta Nasir said to Republika.co.id, on Friday (May 4).

According to Armanatta, Minister of Foreign Affairs has communicate with Tourism Minister and Minister of Law and Human Rights on the matter. He reiterated that information stated on Haaretz was not true.

Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with Israel. On the other hand, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has stated that Indonesia will continue to increase its political and economic support to the struggle of the Palestinian people to gain independence. The president made his remark on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC's) Extraordinary Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, last December.

Earlier, on March 2016, Indonesia also has given no response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu call for official bilateral relations.

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