Indonesia Highlights: Jakarta Vice-Governor Makes a Christmas Wish | Soekarno-Hatta Airport Crowded with Holidaygoers | Israeli Relations a Suicide Mission for the Indonesian Govt

KOMPAS.com – The most wonderful time of year is here, but with everything that has happened in 2020, it feels anything but that.

Jakarta Vice-Governor, Ahmad Riza Patria extended a warm Christmas greeting to the followers of the Christian religion in a video posted on his social media account.

In his video, he asked for Indonesians to pray this Christmas and New Year’s holidays for Jakarta to be free of the Covid-19 virus. Riza is no stranger to the novel virus as he was infected by Covid-19 earlier this year.

Year-end holiday travelers spared no time to travel and return home as the operator of Indonesia’s main airport of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport reported a surge in the number of passengers.

According to the operator, Angkasa Pura II, passenger numbers soared 22 percent compared to the previous month. The number of year-end holiday flights also increased by 27 percent compared to November 2020.

In non-holiday related news, a University of Indonesia Headmaster, Hikmahanto Juwana stated that the Indonesian government will never start diplomatic relations with Israel even with a Rp 28T offer hanging over them from the US government.

Forging diplomatic relations with Israel is the equivalent of a suicide mission for the Indonesian government.

More details on today’s Indonesia news are highlighted below:

1. Jakarta Vice-Governor Makes a Covid-19-Related Christmas Wish

The coronavirus pandemic had a key role in Indonesia’s Christmas celebrations this year as the nationwide Covid-19 caseload exceeds 700,000.