Israel and Indonesia should have diplomatic relations

I read this in the Wall Street Journal during a slow afternoon in the news studio. Israel should not be beyond criticism of its actions, but Indonesia is just as guilty when it comes to the subject of “occupation”. I say its time for these two countries to develop diplomatic relations and work together in confronting terrorism, while politely looking for ways to improve their images of each other.

In recent weeks, Indonesia has endured a tsunami and volcanic eruption. On the positive side, it has a booming economy, a vibrant democracy and a welcoming investment climate. And because this Muslim-majority country has a long tradition of religious moderation and secularism, it serves as a model, or rebuke, to much of the rest of the Islamic world.

So what did President Obama talk about upon arriving in Jakarta yesterday? Israeli construction projects.

Why Mr. Obama chose to pick this fight from the distance of Southeast Asia is anyone’s guess. Israel’s decision to proceed with the building of some 1,000 housing units in the Har Homa neighborhood of municipal Jerusalem—a “settlement” only in the most jaundiced sense of the term—was made in October. Israeli governments of both the right and left have encouraged similar building projects since Jerusalem was reunified in 1967. And construction of the new housing will not begin for months if not years.

None of that deterred Mr. Obama, who warned the Israeli government that “this kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations.” The State Department also chimed in, saying it was “deeply disappointed,” while Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat added that the new construction proves “that Israel chooses settlements, not peace.” This is the same Mr. Erekat who recently wrote an admiring letter to Ahmed Sa’adat, the mastermind of the 2001 assassination of an Israeli cabinet member.

All Israel has done is insist that Jews have a right to live anywhere in their capital city, something that might be controversial in Ramallah but ought not to be in Washington. Mr. Obama’s public endorsement of the Palestinian view of what constitutes a settlement only puts the negotiated peace he seeks further out of reach.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government forbids Israeli citizens from visiting their country. If Mr. Obama wants to bridge the distance between Jakarta and Jerusalem, maybe he can start with that one.

I also think that President made a mistake in focusing on Israel. He avoided the discussion of Kashmir while in India, but for some reason, he felt the need to dredge up the subject of Israeli settlements in Southeast Asia. Unlike Al-Qaeda and the global Salafist movement, Israel is not a threat to Indonesia and the Muslim world should always remember this. It is, however, good to see that the president was willing to give a speech from one of Jakarta’s great mosques.