[Kabar-indonesia] Indonesia may be ready to call off match against Israel

[Joyo at aol.com]

Indonesia may be ready to call off match against
Israel

JAKARTA, July 4 (Reuters) - An emotive match due to be
played in Israel between its Fed Cup team and
Indonesia's may be called off because of Israeli
actions in the Gaza Strip.

An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said on
Tuesday Jakarta was reconsidering whether the
Indonesian team should go.

Leading women tennis players from Indonesia, the
world's most populous Muslim nation, were set to clash
with their Israeli counterparts in a world group II
playoff on July 15-16.

"Previously, we said that competing there for the
Indonesia team is possible," Desra Percaya said.

However, he added: "Seeing the current situation of
military aggression by Israel attacks which are
execrable and that the victims of its attacks are the
civilian people of Palestine, we are reconsidering."

Israel and Palestinian authorities are locked in a
dispute over an Israeli soldier seized by Palestine
militants in a raid from the Gaza Strip, with Israel
subsequently launching various military actions in the
area.

Foreign ministry, sports ministry and Indonesian
Tennis Federation representatives would meet later on
Tuesday to discuss the issue, Percaya said.

Ferry August Raturandang, vice president of the
Indonesian Tennis Federation, told Reuters: "I don't
know about it yet. In this case, we will talk to the
(Federation) chairman."

In late May -- after debate and confusion over whether
the team would go and an unsuccessful attempt to
change the venue -- the Indonesian foreign ministry
had said it regarded the match as unrelated to
political issues and bilateral relations between
Indonesia and Israel.

Indonesia is a staunch supporter of Palestinian
sovereignty and a critic of Israel, with which it does
not have diplomatic relations.

The issue is important to the international agenda of
many local Muslim and secular politicians in
Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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