Indonesia ready to send 20,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza and other conflict zones
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made the announcement at the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he reiterated his commitment to the two-state solution as the only way forward in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, he condemned the violence in Gaza, and expressed openness to future recognition of Israel if it recognises Palestine. The world's most populous Muslim country has a long history of lowkey contacts with the Jewish state.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Indonesia is ready to deploy more than 20,000 troops in United Nations peacekeeping missions in various conflict zones, including the Gaza Strip and Ukraine.
President Prabowo Subianto made the announcement yesterday in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue.
“Indonesia is ready to send 20,000 or more of our sons and daughters to help guarantee peace in Gaza or elsewhere – such as in Ukraine, Sudan, or Libya. Wherever peace is needed and must be maintained, we are ready,” Prabowo stated.
The Indonesian president added that maintaining global peace cannot be achieved with words alone, but must be supported by concrete action.
He rejected the doctrine that “the strong can do what they want while the weak must suffer,” noting that “power is not truth. Truth must remain truth. In this regard, Indonesia is currently one of the largest contributors to the United Nations peacekeeping forces.”
In his speech, the former commander of the Kopassus special forces also reiterated Indonesia’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian issue with the two-state solution as the only viable path to peace.
The Indonesian president condemned the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, where thousands of civilians, many of them women and children, have been killed, and called for an immediate end to the violence.
“Indonesia reaffirms its commitment to the two-state solution in the Palestinian question. Only this solution will bring peace,” he said.
He added that, once Israel recognises Palestinian independence, Indonesia will also recognise the State of Israel, supporting security guarantees for both peoples.
“We must also recognise, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then we can have real peace,” Prabowo Subianto said in his speech, which he ended with the word Shalom Hebrew for peace.
Officially, Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, but lowkey contacts have existed for decades.
During the Suharto era (1967–1998), for example, Indonesian Air Force pilots were secretly sent to Israel to train on flying F-5E Tigers.
“To avoid public scrutiny, the pilots did not fly directly from Jakarta to Israel. They first stopped in several Latin American and European countries before finally landing in Tel Aviv,” noted a senior Indonesian journalist, whose brother was part of the mission.
Religious pilgrimages have also been an indirect channel of contact for decades – thousands of Indonesians have obtained visas through the Israeli embassy in Singapore to visit the Holy Land.
“Perhaps in the past three years the numbers have dropped significantly due to the Gaza war,” said an Indonesian tour guide who has led numerous pilgrim groups.
At the same time, Indonesia has collaborated with Israel to airlift aid to Gaza, and after the attacks on the Indonesian hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry issued harsh statements against the Jewish state for attacking, damaging, and occupying the health facility.
This split reality – unwavering public support for Palestine, yet indirect and discreet relations with Israel – has always defined Indonesian diplomacy and explains the measured tone of Prabowo's speech, in contrast to the harsh condemnations issued by Arab leaders in the same forum.
Over the years, individuals linked to the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest moderate Islamic organisation, have also played a significant role.
Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur and the fourth president of Indonesia, accepted Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's invitation in 1994 to attend the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan.
His visit to Tel Aviv sparked controversy at home, but confirmed his belief in the need to build bridges of dialogue between peoples and religions.
This tradition of openness toward Jews and Israel has continued to the present day.
In July 2024, NU President Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya) revealed that five members of the organisation met with President Isaac Herzog in Israel.
Academics and young NU leaders – Zainul Maarif, Munawar Aziz, Syukron Makmun, Nurul Bahrul Ulum, and Izza Annafisah Dania – took part in the meeting, part of an interfaith communication programme.
The news rekindled public debate in Indonesia, but the NU remains committed to keeping alive Gus Dur's legacy, promoting dialogue, tolerance, and building bridges of peace in a seemingly endless conflict.
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20/05/2025 15:47
