Benjamin Ketang & Israel

May 15th, 2011, in Featured, News, by Patung

A celebration of the foundation of Israel at a Puncak hotel, students in Situbondo outraged.

On May 14th 28 members of the Indonesia-Israel Public Affairs Committee (IIPAC) carried out a muted celebration of the 63rd anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence, at a hotel in Puncak, Bogor, West Java.

Benjamin Ketang, the head of IIPAC, said

We sang the Indonesian national anthem, then sang the Israeli anthem, then read a prayer for the people of Israel.

Benjamin Ketang

Afterwards it was down to business, as IIPAC largely consists of businessmen who have dealings with Israel, and panel discussions were held on relevant topics.

Benjamin said the event had been planned for Jakarta, but was moved to Puncak because the situation in the capital was not “conducive”, and IIPAC didn’t want any trouble. detik

Meanwhile, among the furious flurry of reactions and news stories to the impending and now done event, one such story, from the East Java backwater of Situbondo, where senior high school students at SMU Ibrahimy took much of the day off on Saturday to loudly protest against Israel and any recognition of its existence in and by Indonesia.

Outrage

One student with a megaphone roared

Reject the celebration of Israeli independence, it’s an insult to Muslims.

Then they tore and burnt Israeli flags.

The vice principal of the school approved of the demo: detik

If they ask to demonstrate about something stupid of course we won’t allow it, but this is an expression of how much they care about the Muslim majority in Indonesia.

14 Comments on “Benjamin Ketang & Israel”

1. Chris says:

   May 15, 2011 at 7:18 pm

   If they ask to demonstrate about something stupid of course we won’t allow it…

   If only that rule of thumb was applied more generally to demonstrations in Indonesia…

2. Octy says:

   May 15, 2011 at 10:44 pm

   I really don’t understand why they always complaining other people religions ? what kind of a country is this ?? I though we all leaving in the same WORLD and we were spose to be United not agains each other, how can we find a unity in this world. We all free to leave in this world not to condemn each other and make their own rules, are they better than us ???? It says even in Quran or Bibble or any other Holly Books we have to be unity respect each other and do good thing, DID WE ????? it is so simple think, but still we can’t do it, but why CONDEMN others way of believing ???? these ways of selfishness I just can’t take it., WHY..no one can give better guidances to whom who has only one mind ???? their live must be borring just like living in the BOX don’t you think so…come on everyone am I right..?????

3. Robert says:

   May 19, 2011 at 7:59 am

   Hallo di Indonesia “Benjamin Ketang:
   Very good ….. Baik Sekali

   Look at Indonesia’s Pancasila ….. It says it all

   BHINNEKA TUNGGAL IKA

   Do I have to say more

   Selamat Tinggal di Indonesia
   Robert

4. GNFI says:

   May 20, 2011 at 1:01 pm

   Have anyone of you ever heard about “deliberate” provocation?
   And…may i ask any of you, have anyone in Israel celebrated Indonesian Independence?
   It’s no longer about a narrow religious matter, it’s about HUMANITY, FREEDOM. Have anyone of you heard about that?
   Apparently not

5. Oigal says:

   May 20, 2011 at 4:26 pm

   So what’s your point GNFI?

6. nobody says:

   May 20, 2011 at 4:39 pm

   his point is that celebrating a colonizer’s independence for an Indonesian is as wrong as we celebrating the formation of Dutch East Indies, or like the Australian Aborigines celebrating Australian creation out of their land. It is against humanity and against Indonesian constitution, which clearly said: “Penjajahan di atas dunia harus di hapuskan”.

7. ET says:

   May 30, 2011 at 12:31 am

   @ nobody

   It is against humanity and against Indonesian constitution, which clearly said: “Penjajahan di atas dunia harus di hapuskan”.

   If it’s against humanity and the Indonesian constitution why are they occupying West Papua?

8. Murdiawan Wirjohardjo says:

   June 5, 2011 at 3:38 pm

   Bravo,Anda sebagai org Indonesia berani mangatakan hidup Israel,saya sudah banyak berhubungan dgn AJC di New York dan di Berlin,kenapa Indonesia begitu tolol tidak mau mengakui Isarel.Tolong nama saya dicantumkan sebagai teman Israel di Indonesia.Shalom,email:maswirjo@yahoo.com

9. Murdiawan Wirjohardjo says:

   June 5, 2011 at 3:41 pm

   Kpd AJC di New York saya selalu berkata,ini dlm bahasa Jerman: Scheisz Araber dan Ich lasse mich nicht von den Arabern verscheiszen lassen,yg artinya dlm bhs Indonesia:Shit Arabs dan Saya tdk mau dibohongi sama orang Arab,shalom

10. Haryo says:

    June 16, 2011 at 4:23 pm

    Kalau kita menganggap diri kita lebih suci,lebih benar,lebih beradab,dan lebih2 lainnya,maka tunjukkanlah melalui perilaku kehidupan keseharian.Mengapa oleh karena Israel dianggap penjajah(Menurut sejarah masa lampau itu tidak benar)kemudian anda memusuhi orang israel tanpa alasan yang irasional.Lihat dan tengoklah bangsa Arab yang memperlakukan TKI kita begitu sadis dan tidak manusiawi anda pernah mengutukinya?
    Apa karena anda sama2 satu agama anda diam saja dengan perlakuan itu?
    Hiduplah baik dengan semua orang siapapun mereka.Bukankah itu yg diajarkan oleh Alquran dan kitab2 suci yg lain?Anda sebetulnya hanya mengikuti kata2 ustad atau orang2 irasional itu yang mengajarkan demikian.Apakah orang Israel tdk berhak hidup didunia ini?
    Apakah hanya anda dan kelompok anda saja yg berhak?Coba renungkan bagi teman2 sebangsa dan setanah air,janganlah menebar kebencian diantara sesama.Mari kita saling menghargai satu dengan lainnya,sebagai sesama ciptaan Allah

11. Q says:

    July 14, 2011 at 9:50 am

    Teringat cerita ketika dulu Nabi Muhammad membangun negara Madinah hidup berdampingan dengan Yahudi, tentu dengan segala peraturan dan undang-undangnya. atau cerita tentang kebaikannya menyuapi seorang buta dari Yahudi setiap hari. padahal ia selalu mencaci bahwa Mauhammad tidak benarlah, membawa ajaran sesat. ia tidak menyadari bahwa ternyata yang menyuapinya itu tidak lain dan tidak bukan Nabi Muhammad sendiri. Hingga ketika beliau wafat, dan sahabat nabi yang lain menggantikan ia baru sadar bahwa selama ini ia telah salah sangka. sejak saat itu akhirnya ia masuk Islam.
    Islam menuntun untuk saling menjaga perdamaian dengan siapapun orang di dunia ini.. tapi ketika sebuah kezhaliman menghampiri, Islam pun membolehkan umatnya membela diri.
    dewasa ini mengapa mereka(orang Israel) begitu kejam merebut tanah orang lain? membunuh para wanitanya, anak-anaknya. hal ini tentulah bukan perdamaian dunia itu. Orang-orang di sana berjuang mempertahankan hak-hak mereka. dan di negara ini, tentulah solidaritas sesama muslim ditegakkan.

12. Endo Hanafi says:

    July 26, 2011 at 12:55 am

    Provoking? Yes. Perhaps, it is useful to provoke most Indonesians to think why they should be anti-jews without any Jewish around? Those who are think they are Arabs, would just say that it “insulted muslim” with no clear explanantion why such celebration insulted Indonesian muslims.

    @Q: Agree with your point that Israeli occupied Palestinian land. However, please do not base your argument on imaginary tale.

13. Andrew says:

    July 26, 2011 at 3:32 am

    I’d be more than happy to shoot that student with the bullseye bag with a ketapel…

14. Soren says:

    July 22, 2012 at 12:12 am

    Komunitas yahudi di indonesia sudah ada sejak lama. Demikian juga orang Jawa yang memeluk Judaisme sudah ada sebelum Indonesia merdeka.
    Hal terpenting adalah bahwa Indonesia mengakui semua keyakinan untuk hidup dalam damai diatas pengakuan negara kesatuan republik indonesia, pancasila, merah putih dan proklamasi 17 agustus 1945.
    (Jews community were exist in Indonesia for a long period. Likewise some java people were convert to Jews before Indonesia declaration of independent. The most important thing is the confession of Indonesian nationality, Pancasila as national ideology, red and white flag, and 17-8-1945 declaration of independent)

    Indonesia juga mencanangkan gong perdamaian dimana semua elemen agama: Hindu, Jahudi, Budha, Kristen, Islam, Thao, Shinto, dan berbagai aliran kepercayaan muncul dalam simbol perdamaian.
    (Indonesia also launched the gong of peaceful where all religious element symbol exist there like Hinduism, Jews, Buddhist, Christian, Thao, Shinto, and any belief)

    Selamat kepada perhimpunan Indonesia-Israel. Semoga anda tetap eksist dan memperluas bidang kerjasama. Secara ekonomi Israel mapan dan dapat menjalin kerjasama dengan indonesia. Demikian pula dalam bidang ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi.
    Stigma israel di indonesia sebenarnya adalah tinggalan orde yang sudah lewat. Sama halnya dengan stigma china di Indonesia.
    (Congratulations to Indonesia-Israel community. Wishing you are exist and expand area of cooperation. Israel is economically established and strong so it is wise to cooperation with this country. Israel is also eminent on science and technology.
    Israel and china stigma are residual of old regime)

    Ke depan, kita layak untuk hidup sebagai bangsa yang besar. Rumah bagi semua umat manusia. Tanpa harus mengaburkan adat istiadat dan nilai indonesia kita.
    (Hence, we are worthy to life as a big nation. A home of mankind. We can life without loosing our tradition and value as Indonesian peole)

    Salam.
    (Warm regard)