February 10, 2025
JAKARTA – Indonesia, a long-time supporter of Palestinian self-determination, has refused to divulge the details of its diplomatic plans in response to United States President Donald Trump’s earlier statement regarding his plan to take over the Gaza Strip and permanently relocate its population, a coyness experts describe as a ‘wait and see’ stance as Washington has only become increasingly unpredictable.
Jakarta will not take an “emotional” or “reactionary” approach to the Republican president’s statement, the Foreign Ministry asserted on Friday, amid persisting uncertainty about the plan and the bipartisan brouhaha at the White House.
“I emphasize that Indonesia’s stance and efforts on Palestine have been consistent, and we will continue to conduct our diplomacy in a measured way and through the proper international fora,” said ministry spokesman Rolliansyah “Roy” Soemirat to reporters.
“Not everything has to be done in a reactive or emotional way. We will continue to coordinate with members of the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] and the United Nations on what to do about Gaza’s latest developments, which doesn’t necessarily have to be directed toward a specific statement by a specific head of state,” he continued.
The ministry was similarly coy when asked about the recent activities of Deputy Foreign Minister Anis Matta, who was appointed by President Prabowo Subianto to specifically deal with Middle Eastern diplomacy earlier this year.
Read also: Hamas, other groups slam Trump idea of relocating Palestinians
It however insisted that Indonesia’s stance on Palestine and its right to self-determination has not budged an inch, underlining rejection of “any actions attempting to alter the demographic composition” of Gaza. The ministry is also committed to continuing the monitoring of the implementation of the three-phase ceasefire agreement achieved earlier this year.
The ministry’s withdrawn attitude in divulging detailed diplomatic plans for promoting the Palestinian cause in light of Trump’s displacement scheme, which has been described by the Human Rights Watch as a “moral abomination”, is a contrast to the bold and open actions it has made in the past years.
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that sparked Tel Aviv’s massive military reprise on the Gaza Strip, Jakarta heavily intensified its pro-Palestine efforts, with former foreign minister Retno LP Marsudi herself conducting several shuttle diplomacy acts to key countries including the US, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom, just six weeks after the siege of Gaza began.
Indonesia also participated at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion public hearing last February, where Retno delivered a 30-minute speech lamenting the deteriorating conditions in Gaza while urging for international pressure to hold Israel accountable.
But Jakarta’s reluctance this time to comment or react on Trump’s plan is by no means a change in posture, experts said, nor is it isolated, with several other countries since earlier this week refusing to take much heed of the former reality TV star’s forced displacement plan.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, for instance, while restating on Wednesday Canberra’s support for the two-state solution, insisted that he was “not going to give daily commentary on statements by the US president”.
Read also: Top envoys from Muslim countries head to Moscow in effort to lift Gaza siege
University of Indonesia (UI) Middle East expert Yon Machmudi told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the Indonesian government’s stance to focus on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement instead of Trump’s statement “was the wise thing to do”, given that the new leadership in Washington required careful diplomatic tact.
“The shift of leadership in Washington has welcomed a disruptive and unpredictable regime. Some describe it as operating on madness,” Yon said. “Indonesia’s diplomacy must therefore focus on formal items, such as the ceasefire agreement. We cannot be swayed by confused plans or any other gimmicks.”
Trump’s plan to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” has not only sparked fury at the international level, with officials from both the Republican and Democratic Party in Washington having publicly dismissed the plan, while the White House appeared to have been scrambling in backtracking the idea.
Despite the widespread condemnation, Trump on Thursday doubled down on his stance, insisting that “the Gaza Strip would be turned over to the US by Israel at the conclusion of fighting”, Reuters reported.
It remained unclear how Trump will go ahead with his plan given the bipartisan opposition in Washington, and speculations remained rife that the real-estate mogul was only presenting an extreme position as a bargaining tactic.
What was clear however is that Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, would continue its diplomatic fight as it has done for decades, regardless of whatever statements Trump made.
“We will take advantage of every avenue and communicate with stakeholders at every level – and our engagements do not have to address any specific statements,” the Foreign Ministry’s Roy asserted.