The Indonesian Muslim groups behind a one-million-strong rally in Jakarta this month have warned that any move by the Australian government to formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — even if the embassy remains in Tel Aviv for now — would spark mass protests and a boycott of Australian products.
The warning follows confirmation from senior Australian government sources this week that a final decision has been made to defer the costly and controversial relocation of Australia’s embassy to Jerusalem.
It is likely to formally recognise the city as Israel’s capital and establish a consulate there instead, though it was unclear if it would recognise West Jerusalem specifically or Jerusalem more broadly. The government has yet to formally announce its decision following a high-level policy review, but is expected to do so within days.
Indonesia’s 212 Brotherhood and firebrand Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), the two main groups behind the successful push to jail former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama for blasphemy and this month’s massive reunion rally, said yesterday the proposal would be “worse than the embassy move”.
“This is an outright recognition of Israel’s claim for Jerusalem, Islam’s third-holiest city and the home of the Al Aqsa mosque,” FPI spokesman Novel Bamukmin told The Australian, vowing rolling mass demonstrations outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta should the proposal go ahead.
Read the article by Amanda Hodge and Nivell Rayda in The Australian.