"I believe that Prabowo does understand this because he is a figure, who holds the Saptamarga (soldiers` oath) and does have a comprehensive understanding about Indonesia`s position," he told local journalists here on Monday.
In response to a question on Subianto`s statement on the Australian Embassy being moved to Jerusalem while speaking at the Indonesia Economic Forum in Jakarta on Nov 21, Hamzah stated that someone in the government impossibly recognizes Israel as a country.
The recognition is impossibly given to Israel, which has been colonizing the motherland of Palestinians for decades, as Indonesia clearly opposes any form of colonialism in the preamble of its 1945 Constitution, he remarked.
Subianto`s national campaigning body to help him win the 2019 Presidential Elections observed that Prabowo`s statement on the moving of the Australian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been misinterpreted by several parties.
According to Hamzah, in the era of President Soekarno, Indonesia had demonstrated its obvious political stance on the Israeli colonialization of Palestine by holding the Games of the New Emerging Forces and Conference of the New Emerging Forces.
Irawan Ronodipuro, the director of international relations in the camp of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair, had earlier said he deplored certain parties` comments on and responses to Subianto`s statement on the Australian embassy`s moving.
Ronodipuro noted that Prabowo formed his opinion after speaking at the Indonesia Economic Forum on Nov 21 in response to a foreign journalist`s question on his stance on Australia`s plan to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
"I was present at the Indonesia Economic Forum. Prabowo`s statement on the moving of the Australian Embassy was misunderstood. Moreover, there are media, which intentionally framed the statement in their news," he stated.
What made him more deplorable was the move of a figure, who had ever supported the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair in the past, in which he attempted to drag Subianto`s statement into a polemic and also made an offensive opinion.
Ronodipuro said Subianto`s struggle for the Palestinian cause need not be questioned, as the Palestinians have also held him in high regard for his sincere help to Palestine since a long time.
Regarding this issue, The Sydney Morning Herald`s (SMH`s) correspondents in Jakarta -- James Massola and Karuni Rompies -- published a story titled "Presidential candidate says Indonesia should respect Australian sovereignty on embassy move" on Nov 22.
"Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto says Indonesia should respect Australia`s sovereign right to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - while expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and indicating disagreement with the potential shift," The SMH wrote.
"Regarding the moving of the embassy, I have not read about Australia`s (final) decision on moving its embassy to Jerusalem. As Palestine`s supporter, we, of course, have our own opinion. However, Australia is also an independent and sovereign state, so we must respect their sovereignty," Subianto was quoted by The SMH as saying.
Reporting by Imam Budilaksono
Editing by Rahmad Nasution, Sri Haryati
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
