Prabowo Outlines Condition for Indonesia to Recognize Israel as a State

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia is ready to send peacekeeping forces to the border of Palestine and Israel to prevent conflict in the region. Prabowo made the statement during a joint communique with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on May 28, 2025.

Prabowo said Indonesia must be ready to recognize Israel's sovereignty if Palestine is recognized by Israel. He also stated that Indonesia would open diplomatic relations after Israel recognized Palestine.

"We also convey that Indonesia is ready to contribute peacekeeping forces in the region," said Prabowo.

Prabowo supports the plan of France and Saudi Arabia to hold a high-level conference (KTT) in June in New York, United States, to promote the Two-State Solution and achieve peace in the Middle East.

"In various places, at various forums, I convey Indonesia's position that Indonesia views only a two-state solution, independence for the Palestinian people, as the only way to achieve true peace," said Prabowo.

Reports of the normalization of relations between Indonesia and Israel surfaced in 2023. Israeli media, Ynet, reported that the governments of Israel and Indonesia had been in discussions about normalizing relations for the past three months.

According to Ynet, Israel would cease its efforts to block Indonesia's membership in the OECD, known as the "club of rich countries", in exchange for the formalization of relations between the two countries.

Previously, Israel had blocked Indonesia's membership in the OECD on the grounds of a lack of diplomatic relations.

The Jewish Insider also reported a similar issue. According to the media, President Joko Widodo and Eli Cohen, the Foreign Minister of Israel at that time, had agreed on the final draft of the agreement to normalize relations between the two countries as the first step toward full diplomatic relations, according to sources.

At that time, Israel and Indonesia were reportedly planning to announce the normalization of relations in October 2023. However, they also considered timing it in November when Jokowi visited the White House in Washington D.C., United States.

The Presidential Palace, through the Special Staff Coordinator of the President, Ari Dwipayana, at that time affirmed that the foreign media reports suggesting Indonesia had plans for official friendly relations with Israel were false.

"The information provided is completely untrue," said Ari Dwipayana in a brief message received by Antara in Jakarta, Thursday, February 29, 2024.

At the time, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, reaffirmed Indonesia's rejection of normalizing relations with Israel. She emphasized that Indonesia's position remained unchanged and would continue to support Palestinian independence.

"From time to time, there are always parties saying it's time for Indonesia to normalize. For us, our position is clear as I have conveyed," Foreign Minister Retno said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Nabiila Azzahra and Angelina Tiara Puspitalova contributed to the writing of this article.

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