Christians despair as Tel Aviv stops tourist visas for Indonesians
The Israeli Department of Border Control has made it clear that the provision will also apply to those already in possession of a regular tourist visa. Catholics and non-Catholics were not preparing to take advantage of the next days of national holiday to visit the Holy Land. Catholic tourism operator: "It is a political problem, but we are all affected".
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Tel Aviv government has ordered the revocation of tourist visas for Indonesian visitors, starting next June 9th. The provision is a possible retaliation for Jakarta's alleged decision to prevent Israeli citizens from entering the country in response to the violence in Gaza. Indonesia had harshly criticized the killing of over 100 Palestinians during the protests that followed the opening of the US diplomatic representation in Jerusalem.
On the basis of an order issued by the Foreign Ministry (photo 2), the Israeli Border Control Department made it clear yesterday that the provision will also concern Indonesians who already hold a regular tourist visa. The Jakarta government has not yet issued official statements on the matter. Indonesia and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, but until now both had allowed the entry of citizens of the other country, for tourist or business reasons. The Indonesians have for years been able to visit Israel to take part in religious pilgrimages. The Israelis have instead been able to exploit what is referred to as "call visa" or "limited stay".
The Tel Aviv decision surprises and pains above all the Christian community of the most populous Islamic country in the world. Catholics and non-Catholics were preparing to take advantage of the days of celebration that the Indonesian government grants on the occasion of the Eid al Mubarak, which will close Ramadan next June 15, to visit the Holy Land. Citing the latest data from the Forum of the Indonesian tourist association, a Catholic sector operator, who prefers to remain anonymous, tells AsiaNews that every year about 20,000 Indonesian pilgrims (photo 1) go to Israel.
"In recent weeks, we had organized the trip to the Holy Land for dozens of groups - he says - the tickets have already been issued, as well as hotel bookings. Everyone was ready to leave during the holidays for Eid al Mubarak, but it is almost certain that we will not be able to make the planned trip. This problem is above all political, but we are all seriously affected by the decisions taken by the two countries. For any tourist agency, this is a disaster and we're really worried about the future consequences."
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25/05/2020 17:04
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