Making his debut at the UN General Assembly, Prabowo also told the world body that Indonesia is prepared to deploy peacekeepers under a UN mandate to protect any peace agreement reached between Palestine and Israel to realize a two-state solution. Indonesia has a long history of sending its "blue helmet" troops to numerous war-torn areas, including Egypt, Lebanon, Congo, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, Cambodia and Bosnia.

Is Prabowo playing with fire, or is this a calculated move? We must remember that the annual UNGA is the globe's political theater. Speakers want to impress their national audience and capture the attention of a global audience.

Prabowo is no exception. His speech carried substantial weight, asserting that Palestine has an inalienable right to independence. His presence alone was significant, as his predecessor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had been absent from the annual summit during his 10-year term.

Prabowo appears to be following the path of founding president Sukarno. By speaking fiercely and hitting the podium repeatedly, it was clear that Prabowo aimed to replicate the fiery tone and powerful two-hour address that Sukarno delivered at the 1960 UNGA.

Prabowo's address to the UN sessions on Monday and Tuesday loudly echoed the basic principles of Indonesia's Constitution, which envisions the abolition of colonialism all over the world.

As the third speaker at Tuesday's session, the President was not alone in condemning the barbaric actions of the Israeli government against innocent Palestinians. Other speakers voiced similar anger against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Prabowo came up with a promising idea, no matter how unrealistic his proposal was at the time.

Beyond the national stage, Prabowo is also likely the first leader from a predominantly Muslim nation to openly discuss diplomatic ties with Israel. Most Muslim-majority nations have only demanded the independence of Palestine, although some Arab countries have already established diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.

Prabowo’s remarks on possible diplomatic relations with Israel raised eyebrows among many Indonesians, as expressed on social media. Many people are suspicious that the President has his own agenda regarding Israel, one that is totally against the aspirations of the population.

Israeli media has also often reported that Israel is getting closer to opening an official relationship with Indonesia, despite repeated denials from the government. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data reveals the two countries have maintained trade, with Indonesia’s exports reaching US$52.54 million between January and April of 2024, while imports exceeded $29.22 million.

Prabowo knows very well that he would be committing political suicide by daring to open formal relations with Israel while Palestinians are victims of what he has called "genocidal crimes." Prabowo is aware of these consequences, but as a former Army general, he understands that in negotiations, there must always be a process of both giving and taking.

However, realpolitik dictates that Indonesia cannot be too rigid in its principles against Israel; a certain level of flexibility is required. There is no Arab country that does not have some form of contact with Israel, even if it is conducted secretively.

Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin even met with president Soeharto, then Prabowo’s father-in-law, at his private residence in Central Jakarta in October 1993. This history of contact stands in stark contrast to Indonesia's decision in March 2023 to drop its hosting of the Under-20 World Cup after rejecting the Israeli team, which showed that Indonesia's stance can be both flexible and harsh.

The President has fulfilled his duty to condemn Israel's crimes against humanity but has also come up with a concrete solution to overcome the horrors experienced by Palestinians, regardless of how realistic they are at this moment.