Indonesia has backed US President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to end the war in Gaza, presenting it as a constructive step towards resolving the two-year conflict and easing humanitarian suffering in the besieged enclave.
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But the decision has stirred backlash at home, with analysts suggesting that Indonesia – long a vocal supporter of Palestinian statehood – may have stepped into a “diplomatic trap” that benefits Israeli and US interests more than those of Palestinians.
“The government’s decision to approve Trump’s proposal was too hasty, as soon as it was announced our government agreed, even though the 20-point plan has many diplomatic traps,” Dina Sulaeman, an international relations lecturer at Padjadjaran University in West Java, told This Week in Asia.
The endorsement underlined “a shift in Indonesia’s diplomatic paradigm, from one that truly sided with Palestine to one that is more adaptive to economic interests”, Dina added.
Foreign ministers of Indonesia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt had on September 29 said in a joint statement that they “welcome Trump’s leadership and sincere efforts” to end the Gaza war, which reached the two-year mark on Tuesday.
Leaders of these Muslim-majority countries met Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 23 to discuss ending the war. President Prabowo Subianto had spoken at the General Assembly before the meeting, where he declared that Israel’s security must be protected and that Indonesia would recognise Israel once Palestine was free, much to the chagrin of Indonesians back home.