The never-ending conflict for more than 40 years between Israel and Palestine has attracted global concerns. This conflict has been taken into specific focus by international agencies. Still, it won't be effective because the United States of America holds a dominant role in controlling and associating the peace proposal concerning these two countries' diplomacy. This discussion once became a topic of concern in the online scientific discussion entitled "Between America-Israel and Palestine" on Wednesday (19/5), organized by the Intercultural Department, UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences. This conflict is always about power and territorial politics conflict. "In the end, the civilians, including women, kids, and elderlies, are the ones who will suffer from this war," said Dr. Wening Udasmoro as the Dean of the UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The conflicts between the two countries have been too complex because they hold onto a very different principle since long ago.
"This will be too complex. It's exhausting and can drain your energy, feeling, and mind," Wening added. In addition to that, UGM Chancellor Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng., also fully supported Indonesian government action in striving for Palestine's independence. "Let's support the Indonesian government through International diplomacy to stop Israel's attack," he said.
An expert in American Cultural Studies from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UGM, Prof. Dr. Ida Rochani Adi, also revealed that the United State's power in supporting Israel was highly strengthened by the solid Jewish people that dominantly hold the whole business sector in the US. She also added that although Jewish people were considered nonreligious, they have a solid value and high concern to their people outside the US. "The social experiences, traditions, and Jewish history in the United States have occurred since the era of colonialism," he said.
Drs. Hajriyanto Y. Tohari, MA., as the Indonesian Ambassador for Lebanon, revealed that five things could underlie the reasons the US support Israel up to now, they could be securing access to oil in the Middle East, providing protection support to Israel, securing military bases in the Middle East, maintaining the regime in power as part of United States's alliance in the Middle East and stemming radicalism, terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism in the region. He reckoned that the US would strongly support Israel to control power in that oil-rich power area. "Do not expect the new election of the USA's President will bring significant changes in the Middle East. This condition will seem to be long lasting since to the US, Israel's existence and security are the cornerstones of American politics," he said. The United States was no longer a mediator for both countries, but they switched roles to design the conflicts and solutions. They hold the key whether or not they want this conflict to remain in the status quo, then it repeats into a war and armed conflicts.
"America holds the key to the conflict between two countries because they have a dominant role behind. It is actually the one who can stop the Israel attack, and it is the one who can give Palestine Independence. In fact, America has also initiated the normalization of Israel's relations with Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Morocco," he said.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photo: AFP Photo