Indonesia's Bold Stance: Why Diplomatic Ties with Israel Remain Unlikely

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A foreign media Jewish Insider reported on Feb. 28 that Indonesia had the intention to open official diplomatic relations with Israel, but the plan was delayed by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. 

It said that Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi and Israel's then-Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen had agreed on the final draft of an agreement to open diplomatic channels between the two countries.

The announcement was reportedly planned for October 2023 or November 2023 when Jokowi visited the White House in Washington D.C., United States.

Indonesia promptly denied the report. Presidential Special Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana clarified that it was not true. “The information is completely incorrect,” he said in a short message received by Antara in Jakarta on Thursday, Feb. 29.

“The president's official position is represented by the statement and attitude of the foreign minister,” he added.

Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the Palace's statement. “The foreign minister works under the President's direction. The minister also always reports after every activity she attended or global important events that need the President's attention,” Lalu told Tempo in a short message.

Why does Indonesia not have diplomatic relations with Israel?

Indonesia has never established diplomatic relations with Israel since it declared its independence in 1945. Although Israel became a state only three years later in 1948, Indonesia, being the world's most populous Muslim nation, is among the countries that do not recognize Israel's sovereignty since its founding.

The reason is that Indonesia believes the land occupied by the Jewish state belongs to the Palestinian people. Indonesia as a country that condemns colonialism throughout the world does not recognize Israel's sovereignty.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat Nur Wahid, Indonesian founding fathers understood that defending Palestine from Israeli colonialism was a commitment and implementation of the mandate of the 1945 Constitution.

“This is a fundamental national norm, apart from the preamble of the 1945 Constitution which states 'whereas independence is the inalienable right of all nations; therefore, colonialism must be abolished in the world', we also agree to the fourth paragraph which mandates the real implementation of this principle,” Hidayat said on May 25, 2021, as quoted from the MPR’s official page mpr.go.id.

In fact, Indonesia's First President Soekarno did not invite Israel to the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung, West Java. This was a form of support for the Palestinian’s struggle to achieve sovereignty.

In 2020, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized that Indonesia had no plans to open diplomatic relations with Israel. She made the statement in response to some reports that the government would soon normalize relations with Israel.

“As directed by the President, I convey that there is no intention for Indonesia to open diplomatic relations with Israel so far,” Retno said at a press briefing in Jakarta, on December 16, 2020.

Retno also reiterated Indonesia's support for the independence of Palestine. “Indonesia will continue to exercise support for Palestinian independence based on the two-state solution and other agreed international parameters,” she remarked.

ANTARA | TEMPO

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Editorial Notes: This article has been revised due to wrong information.