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View all search resultsIndonesia can support two-state solution without recognizing Israel
Indonesia and Israel already maintain trade relations despite the absence of diplomatic ties, showing that Indonesia can treat Israel’s existence as a fait accompli.
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(From left to right) President Prabowo Subianto, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United States President Donald Trump attend a multilateral meeting on Sept. 23 to discuss the situation in Gaza on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. (AFP/Brendan Smialowski)
A
t the United Nations Summit on the Question of Palestine on Sept. 22, President Prabowo Subianto declared a commitment to “immediately recognize the state of Israel” once Tel Aviv recognizes the independence and statehood of Palestine.
Many found this surprising, as it marks a departure from Indonesia’s long-standing stance of not normalizing relations with or recognizing Israel. As of today, Indonesia, along with dozens of other states (mostly from the Muslim world), has not recognized Israel. Several other countries have even severed their diplomatic relations with Israel in light of the genocide taking place in Gaza which started on Oct. 7, 2023.
While those who support Prabowo’s statement regard the move as a new diplomatic strategy to elevate Indonesia’s role in supporting the two-state solution, we must approach this development critically. Recognition of Israel should not be taken lightly as a mere shift in diplomatic stance, as it carries a deeper significance for Indonesia.
In 1955, Indonesia hosted a historic conference, widely recognized as the birthplace of Global South solidarity and South-South cooperation, known as the Bandung Conference, which laid the foundation for the Non-Aligned Movement. Among the core principles of the conference was full support for the right to self-determination of peoples and nations.
29 Asian and African states attending the conference emphasized that this principle is “a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of all fundamental human rights.” The right to self-determination gives peoples the freedom to “freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development”.
The Bandung Conference was a significant moment in the decolonization movement, bringing together some of the most influential figures of the newly independent world, including Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Zhou Enlai of China, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno. The spirit of self-determination, independence and freedom was also reflected in Sukarno’s welcome speech to the leaders of these newly independent states, where he declared: “Our nations and countries are colonies no more. Now we are free, sovereign and independent. We are again masters in our own house.”
Recognizing Israel would fundamentally undermine this spirit, as the Jewish state was, from its inception, built on the denial of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. This is reflected, for example, in the 19th century Zionist slogan, “A land without a people for a people without a land", referring to the territory of Mandatory Palestine under British administration. It was part of a campaign to deny the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination by claiming that the land was historically uninhabited, despite the fact that it has been home to Palestinian people for centuries.
