Be vigilant while evacuating Indonesian citizens from Israel and Palestine: DPR

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Puan Maharani, has asked the government to remain vigilant while evacuating Indonesian citizens from Israel and Palestine.

“I know that in the process of evacuation from conflict areas, there will definitely be various conditions in the field, but it cannot be an excuse for not providing optimal services for the safety of Indonesian citizens there,” she said in a statement issued by the DPR here on Monday.

Maharani highlighted that the state has an obligation to provide a guarantee of services and safety to its citizens in conflict areas.

“Even though so far no Indonesian citizens have become victims of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the threat of war is still quite high,” she said.

She added that the government must get ready for all contingencies regarding the ongoing conflict and prepare for the worst-case scenarios in evacuating Indonesians, especially from the Gaza Strip.

“Do not let our citizens become victims of war,” she stressed.

She appealed to Indonesian citizens to postpone their departure to the Israel-Palestine conflict areas, whether to volunteer or carry out religious tourism activities, until the war abates.

In carrying out the evacuation, she urged the government to cooperate with international organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

“The two international organizations have experiences and resources that can be used to secure and facilitate the process of evacuating Indonesian citizens,” she said.

She also asked the government to play a role in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ensure that aid and support for Palestine is based on pure and universal human values.

“Hopefully, this effort can help create a more peaceful and just world for all communities,” she said.

She expressed the hope that the government would continue to intensify diplomatic efforts to invite countries in the world to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict and provide aid to war-affected victims.

“Diplomatic efforts must be promoted more by the Indonesian government. Both from the formal side, such as in international forums or bilateral meetings with other countries, as well as through an informal approach from the leader or representatives of the country,” she said.