Jakarta (AsiaNews) - "The crisis between Israel and Palestine does not have religious roots: it is a political question. It has nothing to do with religion, with the conflict between Islam and Christianity." This is the appeal, the first in the country's history, issued by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who says that "religion and politics should not be mixed" in considering the conflict in the Holy Land.

The stance of the Indonesian head of state is intended to stem the wave of protests of the fundamentalist wing in the country - including the Islamic Defender Front, the FPI - which has promoted a campaign of recruitment for combatants in jihad to be sent to Palestine. "This crisis is a relatively permanent hostility over territorial sovereignty, so please do not mix it with any religious issue," President Susilo said last January 5, during a press conference held after a meeting with Fariz Mehdevi, the Palestinian ambassador in Indonesia.

The government has provided for the sending of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, including a team of doctors and basic necessities that will be distributed through Egypt and Jordan. Some of the Islamic groups and communities scattered throughout the country do not believe that humanitarian support is sufficient, and are calling upon the government to permit the sending of "Muslim volunteers" who want to "fight against the occupation of Gaza on the part of Israel."

President Susilo is warning the population, asking them not to be influenced by those who muddy the waters by attributing religious motives to the conflict in the Holy Land, seen as pitting "the Christians of Israel" against the "Muslims of Palestine." This clarification is also intended to prevent episodes of violence or clashes within the country, which in the past has been the theater of attacks on the part of the Muslim community against the Christian minority. "Indonesians should be clever and wise to express their solidarity with the Palestine. Our goal is to help them and to be part of the solution and not part of the problem."

The appeal of a head of state has been taken up by Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesia's foreign minister, who reiterates that "sending jihadi warriors is not the best option to address the issue. What they need is doctors, medical supplies, and other basic essentials."