As reported on the official Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta website, the Israel-Palestine conflict has become a hot topic that has captured the world’s attention. Israel’s latest aggression has resulted in hundreds of Palestinian casualties. In response to this situation, the Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta Postgraduate Program, in collaboration with LazisMu UMY, held a Public Discussion on the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Opportunities and Challenges for Peace, which was broadcast via Zoom and the UMY Postgraduate Program YouTube channel on Monday (24/5).
The long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been protracted. Peace efforts have continued, but have yet to find a clear solution.
Considering the opportunities and challenges of peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict, as is well known, the United States, as a superpower, has a significant role. The Indonesian Ambassador to Beirut, Lebanon, Dr. H.E. Hadjriyanto Y. Tohari, who was a speaker, said that in reality, the US’s attitude and actions are very unfair. “They fully support Israel’s aggression and are highly committed to Israel’s existence and security,” he explained via Zoom meeting.
Hadjriyanto also added that even the current US president, Joe Biden, has emphasized that there will never be peace in the Middle East. “As long as all countries in the region recognize Israel’s existence,” he said.
There are at least five platforms of US foreign policy in the Middle East that have significantly hindered efforts to achieve peace and independence for Palestine. Some of these include: America’s desire to secure access to oil, protection for Israel’s existence and security, securing US military bases and installations in the Middle East, maintaining the regimes in power in Arab countries that are its loyal allies, and finally, the US wants to curb radicalism and terrorism (Islam).
“That is kind of like the ‘Pancasila’ of US foreign policy in the Middle East, the ‘leading sila’ is the interest in oil or protection for Israel (alternately),” explained Hadjriyanto.
Moreover, the Palestinians themselves are not united, and even the Arab world, which should be behind Palestine, is not united. They have different political goals. We know that Palestine has several groups, the most famous of which are Hamas and Fatah, and they are not even in agreement and do not have the same goals.
Furthermore, Palestine does not have an army, weapons, or drones. In fact, the war that is happening is between Israel and the organizations (Hamas and Fatah). As a result, the number of casualties is disproportionate, because Israel is one of the countries with the best military equipment in the world.
As a result of these various complex problems, according to Prof. Dr. Makarim Wibisono, MA (former UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine), the existing peace process will never work if Palestine’s relations with the US and Israel remain severed.
“Arab countries have started to open diplomatic relations with Israel, such as the UAE and Bahrain. So Israel feels that its only enemy is Palestine and its close supporters,” he added.
Therefore, Makarim emphasized the need for a concrete role of the UN in achieving peace. The UN must work to ensure that Israel can accept the presence of the UN in Palestine to monitor the situation and conditions of the Palestinian people.
“The UN must help repair the Al-Aqsa Mosque and homes destroyed by Israeli missile attacks. Find a way for Israel and Palestine to be willing to negotiate to find a lasting peace,” he concluded.
Although this is not a religious conflict, Muhammadiyah is fully concentrated on providing support to Palestine as fellow Muslims. This was stated directly by the leader of Muhammadiyah, Prof. Dr. Haedar Nashir M.Si.
For Muhammadiyah, the issue of Palestine is related to Islam in a historical context. “In 644, Caliph Umar bin Khattab made Palestine an Islamic state, specifically in the Palestinian region there is the Al-Aqsa Mosque which is even mentioned in the Qur’an as the place where the Prophet Muhammad’s Isra and Mi’raj took place,” he said.
At this event, Muhammadiyah, together with Lazismu, opened donations for anyone who wants to help Palestine through the Bank Syariah Indonesia account no.Rek: 7744455507 and BPD DIY account no.Rek: 806241001313 a/n Lazismu Infaq Shodaqoh. (Hbb)
