Indonesian Foreign Ministry confirms Blinken raises question about normalization potential in Indonesia and Israel

The meeting between Indonesian Secretary of State Retno Marsud and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jakarta a few weeks ago proved to be more than just a discussion on strengthening bilateral relations and regional issues. But surprisingly, Blinken raised the question of the possibility of normalizing relations between Indonesia and Israel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah confirmed this to the VOA, but the Indonesian side, he said, immediately confirmed Indonesia’s commitment to the Palestinian people’s struggle.

“The Indonesian Foreign Minister (Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi) conveyed Indonesia’s consistent position on Palestine that Indonesia will continue to fight for justice and independence with the Palestinian people. This is how the Foreign Minister conveyed to Foreign Minister Blinken,” Faizasyah said.

Faizasyah stressed that there was no further discussion on the issue of normalization between Indonesia and Israel.

Indonesia’s attitude is in line with the mandate of the 1945 Opening Constitution (UUD), which states: “Independence is a right of all peoples. Therefore, colonialism in the world must be abolished.”

Yon Machmudi, an observer at the University of Indonesia in the Middle East, said that different efforts have indeed been made to normalize relations between Indonesia and Israel, both directly through Israel and America. But so far, the government has not given a positive signal about the importance of normalization in the near future.

According to him, the interests of the Palestinians will always be the main aspect of Indonesia in the normalization of relations with Israel. Because the Palestinian question is one of the core of Indonesian diplomacy.

“If then Americans and Israelis feel that normalization (Indonesia-Israel) is necessary, it must also be balanced in their serious implementation of a solution to Palestinian independence,” Yon said.

Yon explained that Indonesia needs Israel in the context of strategic industry for the sake of interest, but it can be met without normalization. In the meantime, Israel needs the recognition and support of Indonesia, because Indonesia also represents a democratic and moderate Islamic state.

If the normalization of Indonesia and Israel takes place before an independent and sovereign Palestinian state is realized, the impact will be very great and will destabilize the country.

Yon added that the government should take steps to convey to the public that normalization with Israel is one package with a solution to Palestinian independence. If Palestine is already independent, there is no longer any reason to refuse to normalize relations with Israel.

Thus, people are confident that if normalization is pursued, it will not disappoint the Palestinian struggle, but rather a package to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.

The news on the Indonesian-Israeli normalization issue, which Blinken raised at a meeting with Retno, was the first to be reported on the news site. Axios.

Although the two countries do not have diplomatic relations, the Indonesian and Israeli authorities meet frequently, especially on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UN) in New York.

Axios also wrote that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto exchanged business cards with Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata at a dinner at a regional security conference in the Bahraini capital, Manama, last month. [em/fw/ft]