Hundreds of Muslim youths burned Israeli, US and UN flags in two Indonesian cities Thursday to protest the ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank, witnesses and reports said.
Some 25 protesters from the Jakarta-based Anti Zionist Study Council (IMAZ) rallied outside the UN office in Jakarta, while some 100 demonstrators from Indonesian Muslim Student Action Front (KAPPI) picketed the US embassy, an AFP photographer said.
The IMAZ protesters set at least two Israeli flags ablaze while the KAPPI crowd burned US and UN flags, the photographer said.
IMAZ, in a statement, urged the UN Security Council to take action against Israel by issuing a resolution to "condemn the slaughter of Palestinians -- especially children -- by Jewish troops."
Similar anti-Israeli rallies also took place in the Central Java capital of Semarang, the state Antara news agency said.
Antara said at least 200 students from the Inter-Campus Muslim Students Association (Hammas) and the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) were seen burning Israeli flags during a peaceful rally outside the state Diponegoro University.
The groups said the Jakarta and Semarang rallies were held in protest against the visit by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem last Thursday.
Sharon's visit was said to have sparked violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police, and at least 68 people have been killed in one week of clashes.
The Palestinians have condemned Sharon's visit to the site -- also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount -- as a provocative move that would enflame Muslim sensibilities
Muslim-majority Indonesia supports the Palestinian drive for an independent state, and the Middle East peace process - JAKARTA (AFP)
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