Israel reverses ban on Indonesian tourists

By Abdul Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel on Wednesday reversed a ban on Indonesian passport holders, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said the move followed contacts between Israeli authorities and “international channels”, but without elaborating.

According to the statement, restrictions on visits by Israeli nationals to Indonesia have also been lifted.

On June 9, Israel barred Indonesian passport holders from entering the country, in response to an Indonesian decision to deny visas to Israeli nationals in protest of Israel’s use of deadly force against Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip, in which at least 132 demonstrators have been martyred and thousands injured since March.

While Indonesia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, nationals of both countries have previously been able to visit through various visas.