The fight for Palestinian independence is not solely an issue of Muslims, as it is included in the mandate of the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution, Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifudin stated.

"It has essentially been included in the mandate of the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution that everyone`s independence should be guaranteed, and support for the independence of Palestinians has been consistently demonstrated by President Joko Widodo," he noted at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java Province, on Thursday.

According to Saifudin, Widodo has made efforts at various international forums to help Palestine gain its independence.

Saifudin explained that Indonesia has remained consistent in supporting the Palestinian people to attain independence.

"The policy of moving the capital of Israel to Jerusalem means denying it (the Palestinian independence). Hence, it is not just the issue of Muslims, but it is also a humanitarian problem and a matter of the people`s efforts to attain independence," he remarked.

During a press conference held at the Bogor Presidential Palace, Widodo urged the US to reconsider the recognition of Jerusalem, as the capital of Israel, and the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Widodo stressed that the US` decision violated several United Nations` resolutions that mediate the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

In addition to Indonesia, criticism of the US` recognition was voiced by the international community, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron.

In fact, Pope Francis has declared that the US` decision could trigger violence in the Middle East region

Source: ANTARA