Israel's parliamentary speaker, Avraham Burg, has cancelled a trip to Indonesia with colleagues for an Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting for fear of violent opposition, Israeli radio said Wednesday, according to AFP.
Indonesian Muslim groups have objected to Israel's planned participation in the conference in Jakarta, blaming the Jewish state for the bloodshed in the Middle East.
The Justice Party warned the presence of the Israeli delegates at the meeting which, opens Sunday could spark violence in the world's largest Muslim-populated country, said AFP.
"It should be kept in mind that in the matter of the use of catapults, Indonesians are much more adept than their brothers who are launching the Intifada in Palestine," it said.
Anti-Israeli sentiment has been on the rise in Indonesia, amid the violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which has left around 100 people dead, mostly Palestinians, in 13 days.
Hundreds of Muslim protestors staged Monday a rally to reject Israeli participation in an upcoming Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference to open in Jakarta later this week, reported AFP.
The protestors, who claimed to be activists of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), unfurled banners which read, "It is religiously unlawful for the Jews to set foot on Indonesian soil." Israelis come, we will slaughter you," and "Reject the delegation of Israeli imperialists," Indonesia's news agency Antara said.
In a statement, the protestors voiced readiness to die to expel Israelis who "want to force their way into Indonesian territory." – (Several Sources)
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