Hamas dan China dalam Konflik Palestina-Israel

FACTS AND MEANING Greetings, facts and meanings. The war between Hamas and Israel is a continuous conflict in the Middle East based on regional, religious and political conflicts. Hamas is a Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip and is often considered a terrorist organization by several countries, including Israel and the United States. They fight for the independence of Palestine and adopt the tactics of armed resistance. Israel, on the other hand, is a Jewish state established in 1948 in an area largely inhabited by Palestinian Arabs, which causes complex regional and ethnic conflicts. In recent years, China has supported Hamas, especially through financial and political assistance. This support has aroused concern in the international community because it can escalate conflicts in the region and complicate peace efforts. China, which supports Hamas, can be a complicated factor in trying to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this edition of FACTS AND MEANINGS, Mr. Fajar Pratikidok, Coordinator of Global Human Rights Efforts, Today we will discuss the strategic importance of China in the conflict between Palestine and Israel. We have a number of sources that will provide valuable insights on this topic. Welcome, Mr. Fajar. Welcome. Thank you for the opportunity. Yes, we will discuss a hot topic. Hamas and Israel are at war. We start by looking at the developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during the Hamas attack on October 7. It seems that the situation is getting worse. Please, Mr. Fajar. Yes, of course I am very concerned because of the attack by Hamas on a large and massive scale, Israel then attacked back. Even with a larger number. Recently, we saw a missile landing in a parking area in a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds of people there. And I am worried that this conflict will spread everywhere, including targeting other groups that support Hamas, from Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, and others. Even Hezbollah from Lebanon, they have been attacking Israel recently. This is a clear indication that this conflict has been dragging them down and will continue to grow even further, can get worse. It can even lead to a bigger war in the Middle East, in this area. So this is what I am worried about, including this can be a momentum for China to attack Taiwan. The last note that was said by Mr. Fajar earlier, that China is likely to attack Taiwan. But before that, about China's commitment to Palestine, especially in supporting Hamas. Can you explain further, especially about China's support for Hamas, and how it is related to the recent Hamas attack? Of course, the Chinese Communist regime has long supported Palestine. We know that. And recently, after the Hamas attack on Israel, China has also reiterated its strong support for Palestine. It does not criticize the Hamas attack, but it fully supports Palestine. It even offers itself as an ally for the two sides. Of course this is good, but we also see that what China is doing, its support for Hamas, for me, is a sign that Hamas' courage to attack Israel is because there is strong support from the Chinese Communist regime. Because before that, they had provided ammunition support, even through Iran and Syria. We even know, there are several evidences that the equipment used by Hamas is also made in China, including Huawei's communication technology equipment that can hit the Iron Drone and the Israel Defense Shield. That's all. I think it's true what Mr. Fajar said, that Hamas actually does not have great power, but because of the support from Iran and Syria, and the strongest behind it is the PKK, which is the biggest support, then the courage arises. Hamas' actions against Israel affect the prospect of normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and certainly the peace between Palestine and Israel. How is this relationship related to China's interest in the conflict? Yes, it's true. So Hamas' attack yesterday has had a great impact on the relationship between the Arabs and Israel. Because before that, there was a diplomatic discussion about normalization that they are doing through the Abraham Agreement initiated by Donald Trump three years ago, and until now it has included five Saudi Arabian countries that are currently being lobbied by the United States to agree to this agreement. And Hamas and China read that, so they try to let go of the current normalization, with the hope that China will continue to lead in the peace process there. Even though we can't expect much from there. So it can be said, if a peace was created in the Middle East, where the Arabs can be at peace with Israel, then the interest of Hamas or the PKK, China, will be insignificant. So who is Hamas actually? Strong and brave against Israel? Yes, Hamas was established in 1987 in Palestine. It is the new face of the Ikhwanul Muslimin, which is an international Islamic organization from Egypt. And in Egypt itself, this organization has been banned since the time of President Abdel Fattah in 2015. This organization is banned because the doctrine of this organization is to choose the path of violence. And then it developed into terror. So the Egyptian president, at the time of Nasser Abdel Gamal, was going to be killed by one of the Ikhwanul Muslimin figures there. So one of the figures was then punished by Egypt. And after that, the Ikhwanul Muslimin continued to develop outside Egypt. And this became a very radical group. Then in Palestine itself, the Ikhwanul Muslimin became Hamas. We ourselves know that Hamas dominated the violence path in 2007. And it was done after Hamas conquered violence from the Fattah group. Fattah is a group loyal to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. And they can take over their power. So it's amazing, this Hamas. But unlike the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Hamas does not recognize the state of Israel. Therefore, it always rejects negotiations on peace between Palestine and Israel. In any form, they reject. Including, they do not recognize the Oslo peace agreement that was released between the PLO and Israel in the mid-1990s. And finally, they do not recognize the Abraham Agreement designed by Donald Trump three years ago. So it can be concluded that Hamas did pave the way for violence. So there have been several negotiations or peace efforts, but they have always failed because of the understanding or ideology imposed by Hamas, which is the path of violence. How did China become an ally of Hamas politics? And what are the consequences of China's support for Hamas? Yes, China has strengthened its support for Hamas in the last decade. Especially after the visit of Hamas leader, Khaled Massal, to Beijing in 2012. He met with the leadership of the PKK. Then he could talk to the president of China, Xi Jinping. And there was also a commitment from China. I think the help was not just about economic development, but also about how to help Hamas weapons. And although it was not done openly, but I think it was done through Iran and Syria, which have always had an open relationship with China. So it's very clear how China actually supports Hamas, including through its technology, to be able to support this Hamas weapon. So in my opinion, it's getting more and more chaotic with the entry of China. Yes, so Hamas is getting more confident, Hamas is getting stronger because of the support from the PKK, from China. Very interesting, Mr. Fadjar. Next, what is the importance of China's geopolitics in this Palestinian-Israeli conflict? And how does this affect regional stability in the Middle East? Yes, China as a growing global power certainly has a strategic interest in the Middle East. Because we know that China's energy and gas supply is almost 50% from the Middle East, one of which is from Palestine. So yes, it is important for stability in the Middle East. So yes, it is trying to encircle these Gulf countries, including Palestine, so that the energy supply can be stable and affordable. Once again, if the situation in this Gulf area is not safe, not stable with the ongoing conflict, of course China will be anxious. Because through Palestine, including Hamas, China is trying to support their struggle in this Palestinian issue. And China also hopes that the Muslim countries in the Gulf will also support China in international forums. We know several cases in China in international forums. One of them is the genocide case in Xinjiang. It can also be broken by China in the PBB forum because of the support from Muslim countries, including Indonesia. Yes, especially what Pak Fajar said is true. So recently, China has even been re-elected as Ham's representative in the PBB. It can be imagined that with this case, cases like Xinjiang will easily sink. Finally, according to Pak Fajar, how does China view peace in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? And how can China play a role in achieving it? Yes, of course China is very interested to be able to play a bigger role as a mediator in this Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Because there is a lot of interest in it and he also wants to attract sympathy from Muslim countries and want to get a bigger international stage. If he succeeds in reconciling Palestine and Israel, he will certainly get sympathy from bigger Muslim countries. In addition, we also see that China still maintains its relationship with Israel, especially in trade. And Israel is also part of the Well and Good Initiative or BRI in China's infrastructure program. So indeed, the cooperation between China and Israel is also quite good. So it maintains a good relationship with both sides. With the hope that it can reconcile. Because of the success of the story yesterday, when China managed to reconcile between Saudi Arabia and Iran, it became a plus value for China. And he wants to repeat his success in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Personally, I don't expect much from China in the process of reconciliation between Palestine and Israel. Because I see that China's interest is very clear, very pragmatic. If I may say, I see China as a dark passenger in the conflict between Palestine and Israel, which only wants to get political and economic benefits. So it's not a sincere intention to fight Palestine. Yes, I agree with Mr. Fajar's words, as a dark passenger. So it can be concluded that China has always been a communist country. And a communist country has one of the strongest characteristics, which is lying. So there are many things that will be easily deceived, so that we can't clearly see the meaning and purpose. It looks good, but it's not necessarily good. It may even complicate the situation. Thank you, Mr. Fajar, for your valuable observation on this topic. I hope this important information can deepen our understanding about China's role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Maybe there are the last words. Please, Mr. Fajar. Yes, lastly, I would like to remind that our support for Palestine or Israel must be objective. We don't try to support one of them blindly. What is certain is that in this Palestinian-Israeli conflict, what is done by Hamas does not represent Palestine. What is done by Hamas is a fight between Hamas and Israel. Okay, Mr. Fajar, thank you. And I hope what we have said can be useful for all of us. Greetings, facts, and meanings. See you in the next edition. Thank you.