MER-C continued that it hoped that Widodo would raise the issue of the hospital

during his meeting with Biden, and “exert pressure on the world, especially the
United States, to immediately initiate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and save the
Indonesia Hospital from Israeli attacks”.

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Widodo is under pressure over the war, which has killed more than 11,000 in a
month, but is likely to take a low-key approach.

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“Today marks the 36th day of the world witnessing indiscriminate aggression,
murder, and mass slaughter of civilians in the Gaza Strip, the majority of whom are
women and children […] all hospitals in the Gaza Strip, have fallen victim to the
brutality of the Israeli military,” the letter said.
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Indonesian staff at Gaza hospital ‘resigned to fate’ as Israelis close in
The US has backed Israel since Hamas launched a surprise wave of attacks on October
7 killing at least 1,200 people and taking at least 200 more captive.

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Last week, Israel accused the Indonesia Hospital of harbouring Hamas fighters in
tunnels under the building.
Health centres in north Gaza under siege in ‘day of war against hospitals’
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The hospital was built in 2011 with donations from Indonesian citizens and
organisations, including the Indonesian Red Cross Society and the Muhammadiyah
Society, one of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisations. It was officially
inaugurated in 2016 by the then-Indonesian vice president, Jusuf Kalla.
“He will be focused on what Indonesia can gain from the visit and not spend too
much time on other issues. It will be a transactional meeting.”
Medan, Indonesia – Indonesian President Joko Widodo is in the United States this
week for a summit with President Joe Biden at the White House, and later to attend
the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, amid the
continuing Israel-Gaza war.

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Indonesia’s foreign ministry rejected the allegations, saying that the Indonesia
Hospital was to “fully” serve Palestinians.
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As an outgoing president whose second, and final, term in office will end next
year, Widodo is likely to be concerned with securing his legacy and shoring up
current projects already in the works, such as plans to relocate 1.5 million of
Jakarta’s 11 million residents to East Kalimantan under the new capital city
project estimated to cost some $32bn.
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The issue is particularly heated as the Indonesia Hospital, located in north Gaza,
has been encircled by Israeli forces.
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According to the White House, the theme for this year’s APEC is “Creating a
Resilient and Sustainable Future for All” with the aim of building “an
interconnected, innovative and inclusive” region and advancing “a free, fair and
open economic policy agenda that benefits US workers, businesses and families”.

“I suspect he will talk about Palestine, especially regarding humanitarian aid and
a ceasefire, because Israel itself has accused the Indonesia Hospital of being a
Hamas hideout,” University of Queensland lecturer Umar said.
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Analysts say Indonesia's President Joko Widodo is unlikely to want to rock the boat
in his talks with US President Joe Biden [File: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP]
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Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country with 207 million of its 270
million people following Islam. The country does not have formal diplomatic
relations with Israel and there is no Israeli embassy in Indonesia.
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“He will likely discuss several matters related to investment and trade, especially
related to the relocation of the capital and critical minerals such as nickel,
downstreaming and the production of electric vehicles in Indonesia,” said Ahmad
Rizky M Umar, an associate lecturer at the University of Queensland.
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Joko Widodo examining aid meant for Gaza at the airport. The aid is on pallets and
ready to be lifted into the plane. Widodo is accompanied by his foreign minister
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However, much as Widodo may want to focus on economic matters, the thorny issue of
the Indonesia Hospital is likely to be difficult to ignore.
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Yohanes Sulaiman, a lecturer in international relations at Universitas Jenderal
Achmad Yani in Bandung, told Al Jazeera that, while Widodo might mention Palestine,
it would not be the main topic of conversation.
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Indonesian President Joko Widodo heads to US amid Gaza tensions

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APEC was established in 1989 and has 21 members including Indonesia, Australia,
South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the United States and Vietnam, comprising
nearly 3 billion people and contributing 62 percent to the world’s gross domestic
product (GDP), while controlling almost half of all global trade.
Three Indonesian volunteers with the Indonesian humanitarian organisation the
Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), which organised the donations to build
the hospital, are currently based in north Gaza.
At Gaza’s Indonesian hospital, doctors battle blackouts to save lives
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Indonesia itself is also a major emerging economy which some estimate could rank in
the top five economies globally by the middle of the century.
Umar added that Widodo would probably also discuss Indonesia’s membership of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which might make it
more attractive to investors given the organisation’s commitment to best practices,
as Southeast Asia’s biggest economy looks to lure more US entrepreneurs.

On November 11, MER-C issued an open letter to Widodo, calling on him to use his
visit to the White House to “save the Indonesia Hospital”.
Al Jazeera Balkans
13 Nov 2023
The visit has prompted questions about whether Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi,
will call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
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It added that the Indonesia Hospital was trying to operate amid total darkness and
a shortage of medications.

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Indonesia sent humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza earlier this month
[Bay Ismoyo/AFP]

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“Will the world and our Indonesian nation continue to remain silent in the face of
this?” the letter said.
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Indonesian citizens and the government have long been seen as sympathetic to the
Palestinian cause – hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets of Jakarta in
recent weeks to call for a ceasefire – but there have been periodic attempts to
thaw relations with Israel, including under former President Abdurrahman Wahid.
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However, despite the grim situation in the besieged enclave, experts told Al
Jazeera that Widodo was likely to use the visit to the White House to discuss a
wide range of issues.
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Joko Widodo at an event. He is wearing black and is clapping.

Published On 13 Nov 2023
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After the assault, Israel declared war on Hamas and has subjected Gaza, home to
some 2.3 million people, to relentless bombardment.
“I think he will focus on the economy and wider Indonesian relations with the
United States. He is not the kind of leader who will get on his soapbox with
America. He will want to make sure that relations with the United States are
running smoothly,” he said.
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“He will also probably discuss the elevation of bilateral cooperation between
Indonesia and the United States into a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’,” Umar
said.
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More than 11,000 people have been killed.