Chairperson of the House Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Fadli Zon. Photo: Geraldi/vel

PARLEMENTARIA, Jakarta - Three European countries (Spain, Ireland, and Norway) on Tuesday (28/5/2024) officially recognized the state of Palestine. The recognition brings a total of 146 out of the 193 UN member countries who now recognize the state of Palestine. Highlighting the development of the Palestinian issue, Chairperson of the House Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation (BKSAP), Fadli Zon, praised the steps taken by the three Western countries.

"My appreciation and support go to all the three nations, especially the Kingdom of Spain and Ireland as the largest and most politically influential countries in the European Union. And certainly also to Norway, which is a peaceful and pro-peace country in Scandinavia," said Fadli in his statement to Parlementaria, Wednesday (29/5).

Furthermore, the former Vice Speaker of the House of the 2014-2019 period shared his hope for other countries will immediately follow the steps of the three Blue Continent countries. "For countries that have not recognized Palestine, this is the right time to do so. We appreciate Slovenia, Malta, and France for giving us the positive signals," he said.

The House Commission I member also encouraged the Indonesian Government to play a central role in ASEAN in mobilizing support for Palestine. "There are two ASEAN countries, Singapore and Myanmar, that have not recognized Palestine. And we are expecting their contribution in this regard," he added.

Furthermore, in Fadli's view, the increase in recognition for Palestine, especially from Western countries, is not merely a call for the urgency of realizing peace and a two-state solution, but also an expression of anger towards Israel's brutality.

"Indeed, the peace talks have stalled since 2014. But I see how the world today seems to be appalled by Israel's cruelty, and you can even see it from the Western world, which has been considered a close ally of Israel. We just saw a heartbreaking tragedy on Sunday (26/8) when Israel bombed the refugee camp in Rafah. It was reported that more than 45 were killed, many of whom were burned alive,” said Fadli.

On the other hand, the politician who is also Vice President of the League of Parliamentarians for Al-Quds assessed that the majority of the international community wants a sovereign Palestine.

“When you see the number 146 out of 193 UN member countries that have recognized Palestine, it is not merely a number, it is an affirmation that more than 75 percent of countries in the world are with Palestine. The truth can no longer be covered up. The US and UK could lose their credibility and reputation at the global level. Even countries that have not recognized Palestine will lose their moral high ground when they talk about democracy and human rights,” Fadli emphasized.

Moreover, the Gerindra Party Faction politician supports the active role of the Indonesian Government in the OIC in efforts to establish dialogue on Palestine with the European Union.

“The idea of ​​dialogue between the OIC and the European Union regarding Palestine recently was very positive. Of course, we at the Indonesian House are committed to supporting this idea considering that the Indonesian House will be the President of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC (PUIC) next year when it’s going to host the conference. We will invite representatives of the European Parliament in the effort of rallying support for Palestine," he concluded. (ssb/aha/agl)