President Yudhoyono Calls for Global Effort to Stop Israeli Attacks

Jakarta (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for global efforts to stop the Israeli attacks on Palestine and to end the ongoing conflict. The President made the remarks at the fast-breaking function at the official residence of Regional Representative Council (DPD) Chairman Irman Gusman here on Monday. Yudhoyono said he had a telephonic conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani who is now chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement. The two leaders had agreed to call on other world leaders to put a halt to the Israeli attacks, which has claimed the lives of many civilians. "We had a long discussion with him. We had agreed that not only Iran, Indonesia, Islamic countries, Non-Aligned countries, and Gulf countries, but also the rest of the world are responsible for putting an end to the military strikes in Gaza in particular, and other Israeli military actions and violence in general," he said. The President said Indonesia in its international diplomacy has continued to fight for ending the Israeli attacks on Palestine. As the president had stated earlier, there are four basic diplomatic principles in ending the violence in Palestine, particularly Gaza: First, putting a stop to the Israeli military action; second, imposing a ceasefire under the aegis of the UN; third, preventing retaliatory attacks from both sides; and fourth, extending immediate humanitarian aid to Palestinian victims. (*) Reported by Muhammad Arief Iskandar