There is real suffering among the Palestinians living in Gaza as Israel continues to implement a range of practices, laws and policies seeking to displace and dispossess the indigenous Palestinian population.
Israeli forces have dramatically escalated the scope of its aerial offensive in Gaza since Thursday, killing at least 95 Palestinians, most of them innocent civilians, and destroying some 300 houses.
Therefore the religious affairs minister and the Indonesian Ulema Council have urged the religious community to pray for peace in Palestine.
"I call on all religious communities to keep praying for the people of Palestine and the creation of peace there," the minister said in a written statement here on Saturday.
Particularly to the Muslims who are fasting during Ramadan, Lukman has encouraged them to perform the "Qunut Nazilah" in their prayers for the Palestinians.
"Let us pray that the people of Palestine can be freed from the suffering they are enduring from the Israeli military offensive, and live in a peaceful atmosphere," he said.
The Indonesians should express solidarity with the Palestinians who are suffering from the inhuman Israeli military aggression, the religious affairs minister noted.
The Indonesian government will extend a donation of US$1 million and other humanitarian aid to Palestine, in addition to asking the United Nations to force a truce in the country, according to him.
The minister also appreciated efforts to raise funds for Palestine, and expressed hope that the humanitarian aid may reach the right target.
In the Indonesian island resort of Bali, the youths there on Friday came together to form the Bali Youth Alliance, to raise funds for victims of the Gaza strip conflict.
"We are concerned about the victims from Gaza in the ongoing Israeli air strikes in this prolonged conflict," alliance coordinator Komang Eka Suardana said in Dehere on Friday.
The fund-raising event was held at the intersection of Dewi Sartika and Puputan Niti Mandala Renon Road in Denpasar as a humanitarian gesture to support those who had suffered in Gaza.
"As Balinese youth, this is the only way we can help the victims, even though it has happened in Palestine, which is far away from Indonesia, " said Eka Suardana.
Besides raising funds, the alliance also condemned the Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.
MUI Chairman Slamet Effendy Yusuf has also called on Indonesians to pray and collect aid for Palestine during this Ramadan fasting month.
"Soon, there should be efforts to collect food and medicines that are desperately required for the people in Gaza," Slamet stated here on Saturday.
Muslims in Indonesia should encourage the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has been raging endlessly, Slamet said.
"I would like to ask all of us to accept the existence of two independent and sovereign states in the region, namely Palestine and Israel. There is a new atmosphere at the center of the conflict that profoundly affects the peace in the region and the world," Slamet emphasized.
Indonesian people and Muslims in particular express their sorrow at the tremendous suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza that has been bombarded by the Israelis, he said
"The attacks cannot be justified for any reason," Slamet said, adding that the international community must ask Israel to stop the attacks before there are any more victims.
"The United Nations Security Council should convene immediately to discuss the Israeli attacks in Gaza before it grows into a head to head battle between Hamas fighters and Israeli soldiers," he asserted.
The international community must urge the United States to stop the aggression by the Israelis, who have broken the principles of humanity, Slamet said.
Moreover, the Arab League should be expected to act in the matter. However, with the condition and situation in these countries, nothing much can be expected.
"The State Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OKI) still has the power to get involved in diplomatic efforts to stop the brutality by Israel," he affirmed.
Earlier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had condemned the Israeli attack in Gaza, making it one of the issues on the agenda that was discussed in the cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office in Jakarta, Friday.
The President continued efforts to end the violence through diplomatic means at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Meanwhile, the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon had urged all involved parties in the recent Gaza violations to avoid further civilian casualties.
With Israeli airstrikes on the enclave intensifying and Palestinians responding through rocket attacks against Israel, Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the increase in violence in the Gaza Strip and reiterated his call on all those involved to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further civilian casualties and overall destabilization.
(O001/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
(O001/KR-BSR/B003)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
