Israel Prevents Indonesian FM From Entering Ramallah After She Refused to Visit Jerusalem

Move to prevent Retno Marsudi from entering the Palestinian Authority is a departure from the current Israeli policy regarding visits by foreign officials to the Palestinian territories.

Israel prevented Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi from entering the Palestinian Authority on Sunday. Haaretz has learned that the decision not to allow Marsudi to go to Ramallah was made in light of her refusal to also visit Jerusalem to meet with members of the Israeli government. The two countries have no diplomatic relations.

Marsudi announced her intention to visit the PA a week ago, after the Islamic summit conference in Jakarta. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the same summit, where he met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who said that products originating from the “illegal Israeli settlements” in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights should be boycotted. The statement was also included as a clause in the summary of the conference.

The Indonesian foreign minister was travelling to Ramallah to dedicate an honorary Indonesian consulate to the PA and to meet with her Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al Maliki, as well as President Abbas. Due to Israel’s decision not to allow Marsudi to go to Ramallah, Al Maliki said he would go to Amman, Jordan to meet her.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Ministry refused to discuss the ban on Marsudi’s entry to the PA. But Haaretz has learned that there were quiet contacts between the Indonesian and Israeli governments on the issue in recent days. Although there are no diplomatic ties between the Israel and Indonesia, officials explained that if Marsudi was interested in visiting Ramallah, she would have to visit Jerusalem and meet with government officials.

The move is a departure from the current Israeli policy regarding visits by foreign officials to the Palestinian Territories. A few years ago, Israel changed its policy and decided not to allow foreign ministers from Western states or countries with which it has diplomatic relations to enter the PA without also visiting Israel. In November 2014, for example, Israel prevented the Colombian foreign minister from visiting Ramallah.

However, Israel did allow foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries to travel to Ramallah undisturbed even if they wouldn’t be visiting Israel. For instance, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh visited Ramallah and Bethlehem, as did ministers, MPs and government officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and other countries. The decision regarding the Indonesian foreign minister sets a precedent.
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Israel stops Indonesia's foreign minister from meeting with PA: Report


Israeli authorities reportedly stopped Indonesia’s foreign minister from entering Ramallah to visit the Palestinian authority, local media has reported.

The Israeli decision to prevent Retno Marsudi’s entry to Ramallah was sparked when she refused to meet with Israeli government officials in Jerusalem, Haaretz reported.

Marsudi was reportedly travelling to Ramallah to dedicate an honorary Indonesian consulate to the PA and to meet Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and President Mahmoud Abbas.

There are no diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Israel, but Haartez reported that, in recent days, there has been contact between the two countries as Israeli officials insisted that if Marsudi visited Ramallah, she would also need to meet with Israeli politicians in Jerusalem.

While Israel, as a result of policy changes in recent years, does not allow foreign ministers from countries with which it has relations to visit the PA without also visiting Israeli officials, ministers from Arab and Muslim countries had previously been allowed to go to Ramallah only.

Marsudi reportedly announced her visit at an Islamic summit in Jakarta last week.
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Report: Israel blocks Indonesian foreign minister's visit to PA
Indonesian FM prevented from visiting Ramallah, after president calls on Muslim states to unite to fight Israel.



The Israeli government barred Indonesia's foreign minister from visiting Ramallah, after she refused to similarly meet with Israel officials, according to a report in Haaretz.

Israel and Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim country - have no formal diplomatic relations, and Jakarta regularly strikes a hostile tone vis-a-vis the Jewish state.

At a meeting last week of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Indonesia President Joko Widodo called on Muslim nations to unite in fighting Israel.

Now, it seems, Jerusalem has struck back, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will be forced to hold the meeting with her Palestinian Authority counterpart Riyad al Maliki in the Jordanian capital Amman, according to the report.

The move appears to mark a shift from Israel's previous policy of only allowing representatives of nations with which it has diplomatic relations to visit the PA if they also meet with Israeli officials. Until now, Muslim states have however been allowed to enter Ramallah and other PA-controlled areas freely.

According to the Haaretz report Israeli and Indonesian government officials were in contact for several days prior to attempt to smooth over the issue, to no avail.

While Israel and Indonesia - home to some 200 million Muslims - have no formal diplomatic ties, the two countries do trade with one another, and Israeli business delegations often visit Indonesia.
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