Thousands in Indonesia protest Israel Gaza actions

JAKARTA, July 2: A Thousands of Indonesian Muslims rallied in front of the heavily fortified US embassy in Jakarta today, condemning Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip.

Members of Indonesia's Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), chanted ''Allahu Akbar'' (God is greatest), as they carried banners with pictures of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, a Hamas leader killed by the Israelis in 2004, and posters saying ''Save Palestine''.

Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel's destruction, now controls the Palestinian government.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation and has no diplomatic relationship with Israel. Many in the country support the Palestinian cause or are opposed to U.S. policies in the Middle East, especially the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

After Palestinian gunmen, some from the armed wing of Hamas, seized an Israeli officer in a cross-border raid a week ago, Israeli troops and tanks entered the southern part of Gaza to clamp down on the territory.

The Indonesian protest, which included many women in white Muslim dress and headscarves accompanied by their children, was peaceful, but hundreds of police were on hand to maintain order.

''This is a violation of the sovereign rights of the Palestinian people,'' Titaful Sembiring, the chairman of the conservative Islamic-oriented PKS, told the protesters.

The PKS is part of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's majority coalition in parliament and is represented in his cabinet. The party is known for being able to mobilise large numbers of peaceful protesters on short notice.

REUTERS