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Indonesia won't normalize Israeli ties, Retno says
The foreign minister has told a public lecture at a leading university that Indonesia will stay the course in fighting for the Palestinian cause as enshrined in the Constitution, regardless of the coming regime change.
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Smoke rises on June 3, 2024 from an Israeli air strike in central Gaza. (Reuters/Ramadan Abed)
F
oreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi reiterated Indonesia’s commitment in fighting for the Palestinian cause, underlining that the country would not cease its efforts to call for a permanent cease-fire and global recognition of Palestinian statehood.
“This principle of consistency isn’t easy,” Retno said on Monday during a public lecture at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta.
“It’s extremely challenging to [uphold] such a principle in a disorganized world filled with pressure from all directions and the lure of various transactions.”
The minister did not elaborate on the latter part of her statement, including whether the government had received any offers to change its stance on the Palestinian cause, only acknowledging that Muslim countries had been pressured to normalize their ties with Israel.
Retno also said Indonesia’s support for Palestine was mandated in the 1945 Constitution, so the impending change of government was unlikely to alter the country’s policy stance.
“Indonesia’s fight for Palestine has a long way to go, and it requires obstinacy and consistency,” the minister said, expressing her confidence that the incoming government would stay the course.
Since Israel declared war on Hamas following an attack on Israeli soil by the Palestinian militant group on Oct. 7, 2023, Indonesia has ramped up its diplomatic efforts to push for a permanent cease-fire, unhindered access to humanitarian aid in Gaza and full Palestinian membership at the United Nations.
