Tel Aviv had forbidden entry. Indonesia has in turn agreed to cancel a moratorium. Following the violence in Gaza, Jakarta rejected dozens of Israeli tourists without giving reasons. Two weeks ago, Israeli trip by important Indonesian religious sparked the wrath of Islamists.
Jakarta (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Israeli government has lifted the ban on entry to Indonesian travelers. Jakarta denies that the decision was followed by secret diplomatic talks with Tel Aviv, disproving rumors leaked by Israeli government sources.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that the ban fell after Indonesia accepted to cancel a moratorium on granting visas to Israelis. The Times of Israel cites a ministry spokesman, who had suggested on his Twitter account how the "tacit contacts" between the two countries had led to the end of the diplomatic crisis. Arrmanatha Nasir, the foreign representative of Jakarta, however, disavowed this version of the facts: "There were no talks on the issue of visas".
At the end of last May, the Tel Aviv government announced a stop to visas for visitors coming from Indonesia, starting from June 9th. Following the protests of tour operators, the entry into force of the provision was postponed until the 26th of the same month. The decision would have been an Israeli retaliation for Jakarta's alleged decision to prevent entry to its citizens in response to the violence in Gaza.
Indonesia had harshly criticized the killing of over 100 Palestinians during the protests that followed the US diplomatic representation in Jerusalem. The Indonesian authorities have confirmed that they have rejected dozens of Israeli tourists, but have refused to disclose the reasons.
The re-opening of the Israeli borders takes place two weeks after the visit to the country of Yahya Cholil Staquf, an important Islamic religious and a member of the Indonesian President's Consultative Council, Joko Widodo. Exponent of Nahdlatul Ulama (Nu), the main moderate Muslim organization in Indonesia (over 60 million members), he traveled to the Middle East on June 14 at the invitation of the American Jewish Committee; held a presentation and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
In Indonesia, the visit sparked the harsh criticism of radical Islamic movements. The religious replied that his was an informal journey to witness "Indonesian support for the Palestinian cause".