The reactions of Indonesian Christians to the Israel – Lebanon situation.
The most viewed article in the English section of the Antara news site this week had the title “Israel is a war criminal country: KWI“, as the state news agency continues its agitprop campaign against Israel.
In the article the Indonesian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (KWI) was given as denouncing Israel thusly:
Israel has committed an extraordinary humanity (sic) violations by killing children, and destroying religious facilities and other vital public facilities.
said Antonius Benny Susetyo of the KWI.
Protestants too have been dutifully anti-Israel in their pronouncements on the middle east issue, at least as recorded in the media.
The “Komunitas Kristiani Indonesia Antiperang”, or Anti-war Indonesian Christian Community, met with the ambassador for Palestine, Farez Mehdowi, in Jakarta, and conveyed to him their support for Palestinian freedom and peace in Lebanon. Mehdowi thanked them for their sentiments but wished that they could offer more tangible support.
The Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia (PGI), Indonesian Churches Association was reported to have asked Christians across Indonesia to pray for the victims of Zionism.
While on the streets representatives of Christian groups have put in appearances at anti-Israel rallies. The large rally held in Jakarta on Sunday, led by militant Islamic groups, was also attended by people from the KWI and PGI, ever eager to please and make fools of themselves.
And yesterday about forty members of the Gerakan Mahasiswa Kristen Indonesia (GMKI), Indonesian Christian Students’ Movement, visited the United Nations office in Jakarta apparently to condemn Israeli aggression and advocate a peaceful solution to the issue. They carried banners that said things like “Israel, Wake Up” and “Israel, Remember God’s Love”. It seems no such messages were directed towards the other parties to the dispute.
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It is high time to notice that Israel isn’t a supporter of Christains neither on its territory nor in the world (whatever the Papuans may imagine)…