Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian senior journalist Aat Surya Safaat said he was optimistic that mainstream media and social media could be an alternative force to put pressure on arrogant Israel and cancel the Zionist government's plan to annex the Palestinian West Bank.

"Journalists and social media users can influence public opinions in the international community to stop Israel's planned annexation of the West Bank which is part of the Deal of the Century initiated by the US," he told the press in Jakarta on Thursday.

According to the former head of the ANTARA News Bureau in New York, who was also a news director of the national news agency, the history proves that the press played a major role in ending the Vietnam war and stopping apartheid politics in South Africa, even encouraging recognition of Indonesia's independence by the international community.

On the other hand, he said, the current social media can work together with the mainstream media to serve as an alternative force, and suppress the arrogance of the Israeli Zionist government over Palestine.

The Advisor of the Indonesian Academic Forum (FAI) stated that the mainstream media and social media users who love humanity domestically and internationally must not be silent seeing the humanitarian problems faced by the Palestinian people.

"Especially for Indonesia, the great contribution of the Palestinian people to the Indonesian independence will not be forgotten, as Palestinian Grand Mufti Shaykh Muhammad Amin Al-Husaini who was hiding in Germany at that time recognized and supported Indonesia's independence before other Arab states' figures made the same statement," he said .

The recipient of "Press Card Number One" from the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) on the National Press Day in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on February 9, 2020, further expressed his belief that mass media in the international world could be an alternative force to stop Israeli atrocities against Palestine.

He considered, the mass media could play a role in conducting a second track diplomacy in encouraging large and influential countries such as Russia and China to stop Israel's plan to annex the Palestinian West Bank.

One of the founders of the Mi'raj Islamic News Agency (MINA), a news agency that broadcasts news stories in Indonesian, English and Arabic also informed that the International Muslim Media Alliance (IMMA) was established on May 26, 2016 in Jakarta.

"One of the goals of forming an international media alliance is to fight against negative news about Palestine. But the role of the alliance for exchanging and quoting the news of the Islamic world does not appear to be effective," said the PWI’s Journalist Competency Test assessor.

He also emphasized that the Palestinian question is a humanitarian issue, not merely a religious issue. Because when it comes to Palestine, there are three religions, namely Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

"Not only reporters, in this digital age, anyone in every pen, laptop, cellular phone or in any room where we can write, then write about the importance of the struggle for Palestinian independence. The power of writing in the social media era is more influential than military weapons," he said.

Especially about Indonesia's role in defending Palestine, the senior journalist recalled the words of the Palestinian Prime Minister in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniya, who had stated that there were currently two gifts from Indonesia to Palestine, namely the Indonesian Hospital in the Gaza Strip and the presence of the MINA news agency.

In this connection he also welcomed the initiative of the leaders of the Jamaah Muslimin (Hezbollah) who is also the Main Trustee of the Al-Fatah Islamic Boarding School network in Indonesia with the Aqsa Working Group (AWG) who are always ready to gather diplomatic power for the liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and for Palestinian independence.

Sharing the same idea with Aat Surya Safaat at the same occasion, Palestine Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhair al-Shun said the Israeli plan to annex the Palestinian West Bank is to rule in the fertile land.

Israel wants to take 30 percent of the land in the West Bank by means of annexation, the ambassador said, adding that the water in the territory can also be consumed instantly.

The chief diplomat also pointed out that there are two things which are underscored by the Palestinian government concerning the Israeli agenda over the plan of annexation.

The first concerns about the Israeli wish to win Wadi al-Huwar which is located side by side with the Dead Sea whose waters contain high minerals which can be used as substances for cosmetics which can be supplied to the Europe market, he said.

The second is that Israel targets Palestine’s date trees especially those from Jerico City, which have the best quality in Palestine, he added.

In principle, the Palestinian government claims that its side strongly opposes to the Israeli plan of annexation and continues to struggle for the Palestinian land.

Reporting by Indonesia Window