REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia’s government, at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) extraordinary ministerial meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, (Sept. 15), said that Israel’s campaign promise on its West Bank annexation plan was a violation of the international law.
"Indonesia sees a campaign promise made in Israel concerning Israel’s West Bank annexation plan as an act of discrediting the international law and a flagrant violation of UN resolutions," Director General for Multilateral Cooperation Febrian A. Ruddyard, as the special envoy of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, remarked.
The statement was delivered by Director General Ruddyard at the OIC meeting, as noted in a written statement issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received here on Monday. The OIC held an emergency ministerial meeting two days ago prior to Israel’s general election in response to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statement on the plan to annex the West Bank in Palestine.
At the meeting, Ruddyard highlighted the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution No. 2334 of 2016 that unequivocally states that the UNSC does not acknowledge any amendments to the 1967 border line between the Israeli and Palestinian territories. Hence, the Indonesian government expected that the OIC can call on the international society to support Palestine and not acknowledge the illegal action by Israel. Indonesia also expected such action to be discussed at the UN Security Council.
Ruddyard stated that Israel’s annexation plan was closely linked to legal and humanitarian issues. Developing settlements in the Palestinian region posed a challenge in the negotiation process that might cause human rights violations against the Palestinians.
Furthermore, the Indonesian government encouraged OIC members to prevent Israel’s efforts to change the demographic composition in the Palestinian region. Indonesia urged Israel to commit to a two-state solution based on the 1967 border lines, respect Palestinian self-determination right, and the status of East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital city. The one-day meeting was attended by eight OIC ministers and agreed on a mutual communiqué concerning criticism against Israel and support for the Palestinians.