April 11, 2025
JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto has set off on a tour to discuss Gaza with Middle Eastern countries’ leaders and the plan to relocate hundreds of the enclave’s inhabitants affected by the war with Israel, among other geopolitical and geo-economic issues.
Prabowo took off from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base at 1 a.m. on Wednesday and is slated to visit the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan to consult with each country’s leader, while reaffirming Jakarta’s commitment to actively promoting peace in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
As a nonaligned nation that has one of the world’s largest Muslim populations, Indonesia may become a strategic actor in the conflict, the President said.
“I’m doing what I’m doing because of mounting requests for Indonesia to be more active in supporting and finding ways to resolve the conflict in Gaza and the Middle East in general,” Prabowo said before boarding his presidential plane for his Abu Dhabi-bound flight.
“I suppose this position means that we indeed have a responsibility. This is why I have expressed to all parties that Indonesia is ready to fulfill requests from any involved actors, playing our role according to our capacity and capabilities.”
Read also: Indonesia ‘strongly rejects’ Trump’s Gaza takeover plan
As part of its commitment, Jakarta has sent a medical team to Gaza and stands ready to bring a total of 1,000 injured Palestinians and orphaned children to Indonesia temporarily for treatment. The President said that he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to discuss the matter with authorities in Palestine.
“We’re ready to evacuate those injured or traumatized, and any other person wanting to be evacuated to Indonesia,” he said.
Prabowo immediately asserted that this would only be a temporary plan: “Once they’ve recovered, and the situation in Gaza has been resolved, they must return to where they came from.”
The Foreign Ministry has yet to disclose any details about the plan, including where the evacuated Palestinians would reside and how the operation would be funded.
Resolving problems?
The war in Gaza was at the center of Prabowo’s discussion with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) at the Qasr Al Shatie Palace in Abu Dhabi, where the Indonesian delegation, which included Foreign Minister Sugiono and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, landed on Wednesday at noon local time.
“I consulted [with President Mohamed bin Zayed] on the latest geopolitical developments, as we’re seeking to gather insight and suggestions from the region’s leaders. Of course, we’re all thinking about resolving regional conflicts, including in Gaza,” Prabowo said after the meeting.
In the past few months, the Middle East has been distraught by a statement from United States President Donald Trump in February claiming that it would take ownership of Gaza and relocate its 2 million residents. He went so far as to say he would establish what he called “the Riviera of the Middle East”.
The plan triggered international outrage. But Trump brought up the plan again during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, saying that moving Palestinians around to different countries would help the world have “a freedom zone where people aren’t going to be killed every day”.
It remains unclear which “other countries” Trump was referring to, but some American pro-Israeli groups suggested Egypt and Jordan as well as some African countries.
Read also: Muslim nations adopt Arab alternative to Trump’s Gaza plan
In March, several Israeli media agencies reported that some 100 Palestinians were going to be relocated to Indonesia. The plan was mentioned as part a program to showcase Gazans’ “voluntary migration”, aimed to set a good example for thousands more to follow.
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry quickly rebutted the claims, with spokesperson Rolliansyah “Roy” Soemirat insisting that there were “never any discussions, let alone agreements, between Indonesia and other countries on the matter”.
Money talks
Prabowo is also expected to discuss the latest geoeconomic developments during his Middle Eastern trip, amid worldwide anxiety stemming from Washington’s recent update on its trade tariff policy.
Trump’s announcement of so-called “reciprocal tariffs” has been expected to significantly affect economies worldwide, including Indonesia, which must contend with the 32 percent figure given by Washington.
Jakarta announced earlier this week that it would not retaliate against Trump’s tariff policy, but push for negotiations with as many international actors as possible to lessen the impact, along with the US to strike a fairer deal.
Read also: US tariff policy bucks economic theory, says Sri Mulyani
In Abu Dhabi, Prabowo and MBZ saw the signing of four government-to-government agreements covering cooperation in food security, climate-related issues, maritime affairs, security, counterterrorism and religious affairs.
Four more business-to-business agreements were also signed, including on livestock production, power plants and solar energy.
According to the official presidential itinerary, Prabowo will head to Turkey next, where he will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss similar regional matters while also strengthening bilateral cooperation, as well as attending the Antalaya Diplomacy Forum.