At the meeting, Marsudi conveyed Indonesia's strong rejection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state after the war ends.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi walked out of the UN Security Council (UNSC) open debate regarding Palestine while Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan was delivering his speech at the meeting.

"Minister Marsudi and delegation chairs of several other countries walked out while Israel's permanent representative was delivering his statement," spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, stated through a text message on Thursday.

He noted that the minister walked out because Israel's ambassador was also not present in the room while delegates from Indonesia and several other member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) were delivering their speeches at the meeting.

"Likewise, the delegations of Indonesia and a number of OIC countries were also not in the room when Israel's permanent representative delivered his statement," Iqbal remarked.

The UNSC open debate on "The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question" was held in New York on Tuesday (January 23) local time.

At the meeting, Marsudi conveyed Indonesia's strong rejection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state after the war ends.

"Indonesia strongly rejects this statement. This statement is unacceptable. This confirms Israel's ultimate goal to wipe Palestine from the world map," she stressed.

To avoid a full-blown war in the Middle East, the minister called for a ceasefire that will provide space to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

She also urged relevant parties to begin post-conflict reconstruction as well as continue the two-state solution process.

Furthermore, she emphasized that Palestine must be granted full membership in the UN immediately.

"This is essential to start fair and balanced work on the two-state solution and to stop Israel's brutal aggression," she remarked.

At the meeting, Marsudi also urged the world to stop the flow of weapons to Israel that can be used to kill innocent civilians.

"Israel must be held accountable for its actions, including atrocities in Gaza. No nation is above the law," she highlighted.

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Translator: Yashinta Difa, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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