JakartaPost/Reuters-Jan 20, 2023
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has called on the Israeli government to stop making provocative actions in Palestine and start working on a peaceful process toward a two-state solution. Speaking on Wednesday during an open debate at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York, Retno said Israel “needs to respect international laws and work to find concrete efforts for peaceful solutions”. Retno also called for an immediate end to Israeli’s occupation of Palestinian territory. “Mr. President, the year 2023 must be the year of progress in resolving the Palestinian issue. It is our collective responsibility to end Israeli occupation once and for all,” Retno said, addressing the UNSC presidency currently held by Japan. In a written statement made available to The Jakarta Post, the Foreign Ministry said Indonesia welcomed the UN General Assembly resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on occupied Palestinian territory. “We should not take the business-as-usual attitude. We need to ensure that concrete efforts are made,” the ministry said in its statement. In the lead-up to the UNSC open debate, some 40 nations called on Israel to lift the sanctions it had imposed earlier this month on the Palestinian Authority over the latter’s push to get the world’s highest court to issue an opinion on the Israeli occupation. In a joint statement issued on Monday, the 40 nations reaffirmed their “unwavering support” for the ICJ and international law, expressed “deep concern regarding the Israeli government’s decision to impose punitive measures against the Palestinian people, leadership and civil society” following the assembly’s request to the court. 2022 saw Palestine grapple with some of Israel’s worst attacks, with frequent mass arrests and killings in the West Bank taking place at least since March. The UN also declared last year to be the “deadliest” for Palestinians. Israel’s representative at the assembly refuted UN data. Read more at:
