The normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and some Gulf Arab countries will not change Indonesia’s support for the Palestinians in the longstanding Middle East conflict, a government spokesman has said.

As a staunch supporter of the Palestinian struggle for independence, predominantly Muslim Indonesia has paid close attention to the latest developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

United States President Donald Trump hosted on Tuesday officials from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who signed deals to consolidate furtive ties with Israel despite protests from the Palestinians.

The two countries became the third and fourth Arab states to normalize ties since Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

Trump’s showmanship in celebrating the so-called “Abraham Accords” has exposed fault lines in the Arab world’s solidarity with the Palestinian people, experts have said, but the move has not persuaded Indonesia to abandon its position on the matter.

“For Indonesia, the settlement of the Palestinian issue needs to respect the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and internationally agreed parameters, including a two-state solution,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah told reporters on Thursday.

“We understand the intention of the UAE and Bahrain to provide space for the relevant parties to negotiate and change the approach to solving the Palestinian issue through this agreement. However, the effectiveness of the agreement depends to a large extent on Israel's commitment to respect it,” Faizasyah said. 

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