There is talk Indonesia could soon hop on the bandwagon. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Indonesia’s possibly joining the Abraham Accords with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during his visit last December. Yet Jakarta is still against the idea, and few think it will change its mind anytime soon.

This is a shame. Indonesia has much to gain and little to lose by embracing Israel as other Muslim nations have done.

Take the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One of the original signatories to the Abraham Accords in 2020, it has reaped nothing but rewards. UAE-Israel trade amounted to almost US$500 million last year, and Dubai and Jerusalem are moving forward with free trade deal negotiations. The two countries just this month signed tourism and healthcare agreements that will expand cooperation in those sectors.

Elsewhere they have dramatically stepped up security cooperation, including the prospective sale of Israeli air defense systems, to meet the Iran threat. The Emiratis are richer and safer now that they’re working with the Israelis.    

Similar benefits await Indonesia. Commercial interests are prominent among them. Bilateral trade, which is already in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars annually, will increase significantly if Jakarta and Jerusalem establish relations. Expect Israel to export more high-tech commodities to Indonesia and Indonesia to export more agricultural products and industrial goods to Israel. Indonesia will be better off by trading more with Jerusalem, and vice versa.

Investment is another area that has great potential. With diplomatic hurdles out of their way, Israeli firms would be keen to tap Indonesia’s massive market. Israel has invested significantly in other Asian countries like India and would do the same in Indonesia.                 

Don’t overlook defense cooperation as well. Located in an increasingly volatile part of the world, Indonesia faces a mishmash of threats that include terrorism and piracy. It will be safer from both through a partnership with Israel.

As regards the former, no country has better counterterrorism credentials than Israel. Getting training from the Israelis would help Indonesian security forces root out attacks before they happen. Intelligence sharing would alert Jakarta to threats abroad about which it would not know otherwise. Indonesian officials are already discussing pandemic response strategies with their Israeli counterparts. Why not security too?     

Indonesia should also consider buying Israeli weapons. The two countries would not be starting from scratch. Decades ago, Israel sold Indonesia US-made A4 Skyhawk warplanes even without diplomatic relations. Israel’s indigenous defense industry has made massive strides since then and is now among the world’s best. Imagine Israeli missile defenses, patrol boats, and drones in Indonesia. Most countries, Indonesia included, would not turn down top-of-the-line military hardware if they can get it.              

Alas, political barriers to normalization remain. Jakarta has long championed the Palestinian cause and has been critical of Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians, often emphatically so. For instance, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo tweeted last May that Jakarta “strongly condemns” Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. He has also reportedly told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in that there will be no normalization with Israel before there is a Palestinian state.       

This is not a good reason not to join the Abraham Accords. Indonesia won’t have to stop criticizing Israel where it sees fit to just because diplomatic ties have been established. Egypt and Jordan are two Muslim countries that have full diplomatic relations with Israel and often speak out against it. Turkey especially so.

If Jakarta insists that there be a Palestinian state before normalization, it may be waiting a long time. The Palestinians have had ample opportunities to conclude a final status agreement with the Israelis and have rejected them all. Arabs in the Gulf and beyond are frustrated by their intransigence and no longer want them to hold relations with Israel hostage.

The Abraham Accords show that Muslim countries are publicly recognizing that Israel isn’t going anywhere. Indonesia would do well to follow suit.   

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The writer is a PhD. student at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is a graduate fellow at the Clements Center for National Security.