A realist
The curiosity of Mr. Prabowo for geopolitics isn’t new. As a protection minister (from 2019 to 2024), he attracted the hearth after launching a controversial Peace plan for the war between Russia and Ukraine to the Shangri-La dialogue in 2023.
His proposal included the creation of a demilitarized space and a potential referendum sponsored by the United Nations within the “disputed territories”. The then spokesman for the Ukraine Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikoleko, definitively rejected him, saying that there have been no disputed territories and that the retreat of Russia from all of the occupied territories was not negotiable.
That episode revealed the realist perspective of Mr. Prabowo and the precedence that provides exhausting energy in worldwide relations on worldwide legal guidelines and conventions.
That posture continued in its presidency.
During a press convention with the French president Emmanuel Macron in Jakarta in May, he mentioned: “We should acknowledge and assure the rights of Israel as a sovereign nation”, including a warning that “Indonesia mentioned that after Israel acknowledges Palestine, Indonesia is able to acknowledge Israel”.
No earlier Indonesian president has dared to supply an specific promise to acknowledge the state of Israel, to not point out the launch in some type of assure of security.
Yet aside from his frank language, Mr. Prabowo had truly moved the normal place of Indonesia to Israel. It was a key aspect of its international coverage to retain diplomatic recognition and keep away from ties with Tel Aviv so long as there is no such thing as a impartial Palestinian state.
Now plainly, within the tone of his language, a minimum of, Palestine’s independence a international coverage precedence. In addition, he reported his will to work with Israel to realize this, even when he has by no means elaborated as.
In April, Prabowo underlined his willpower to push alongside a decision of the Israeli-Palestino battle providing to quickly shield 1,000 Palestinians affected by the battle in Gaza. If made, this can symbolize to this point probably the most concrete dedication of Indonesia for the Palestinian trigger.
