Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Ibrahim Hewitt
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The famine in Gaza: When a nibble of food is stolen from the hungry
For many long months, the Gaza Strip has been groaning under the weight of a devastating war; one that has left no stone unturned, no heart untouched by sorrow, and no home untainted by the scent of death. Hunger was never a passing guest in this besieged land, but...
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ASEAN’s statement on the Middle East is complicity in disguise
By issuing a cautious, measured statement on the recent Israel–Iran war, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has once again chosen rhetorical neutrality over moral clarity. On 26 June, its foreign ministers expressed vague “concern,” called for de-escalation, and offered generic support for the United Nations. But nowhere...
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Qatar and Indonesia must channel their $4 billion fund into renewable energy
In April 2025, a pivotal agreement marked a new chapter in Indonesia–Qatar relations. Danantara, Indonesia’s newly established sovereign wealth fund, and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), one of the most powerful state-owned investors in the Middle East, established a joint investment fund worth $4 billion—$2 billion from each party....
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When peacemakers become targets: How the attack on Qatar’s sovereignty endangers global diplomacy
Warfare and conflict are not new to human nature, yet they have been fundamentally reframed, restructured, and paradoxically rebranded in the 21st century, often justified as necessary means to achieve “peace.” This contradiction lies at the heart of our contemporary international system, where violence masquerades as peacemaking and diplomatic...
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Indonesia at the OIC meeting on Iran-Israel war: A step forward, but not bold enough
Indonesia’s participation at the 51st Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Istanbul last weekend was a necessary step in articulating its stance on the escalating Iran-Israel war. Foreign Minister Sugiono delivered strong statements condemning Israel’s reckless military aggression—not just its illegal attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities,...
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Nukes or be bombed: How US and Israeli strikes on Iran legitimised nuclear weapons
In mid-June 2025, tensions in the Middle East took a sharp and dangerous turn. On 13 June, Israel launched a targeted airstrike inside Iranian territory. Just days later, On 21–22 June, the United States joined in—striking Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The justification was predictable:...
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Why did Egypt block the Caravan of Steadfastness?
The fate of the Caravan of Steadfastness, which returned to Tunisia last Thursday after initially setting off for the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, raises serious questions about the extent and nature of Egypt’s role in exacerbating the war of starvation and blockade imposed on...
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Prabowo’s absence at the G7 is the right move on Palestine
When Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto chose not to attend this year’s G7 summit, some might interpret it as a pivot away from Western influence—or even as a sign of Jakarta drawing closer to Moscow. We ourselves previously argued that such a realignment might not serve Indonesia’s economic interests, particularly in terms of reducing...
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Indonesia in the crossfire: Israel-Iran conflict and Western hypocrisy
Indonesia is being affected today not because of its own conflicts, but because of a war ignited thousands of miles away, rooted in Israel’s relentless warmongering policies. The current Iran-Israel confrontation, which is now destabilising global oil markets and creating economic uncertainty in Indonesia, should serve as a stark...
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The global march to Gaza: Indonesia and Egypt
This week, ten Indonesian citizens — among them celebrities like Wanda Hamidah, Zaskia Adya Mecca, and Ratna Galih — landed in Cairo, not for a political summit, but to join the Global March to Gaza. They came bearing no weapons, no agendas, only the unyielding conviction that humanity must...
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When the ‘civilised world’ allows inhumanity to thrive, we are all in deep trouble
As the predictable calls for “restraint by both sides” are rolled out by Western politicians and officials, let us be clear that Israel’s latest attack against Iran could not, and would not, have happened without the support that those same politicians and officials have given the occupation state throughout...
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A troubling trend: The rise of pro-Israel voices in Indonesia
In recent years, Indonesia has witnessed an unusual and disquieting trend: the rise of public figures openly supporting Israel, in stark contrast to the country’s long-standing and deeply rooted support for Palestinian self-determination. Chief among these voices is Monique Rijkers, a Jakarta-based media personality and self-described Jewish Indonesian who...
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Indonesia shouldn’t trade Palestine for OECD membership
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto recently signaled that the country may consider recognizing Israel—if Israel, in turn, recognizes Palestinian statehood. The remarks, made during talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, surprised many. Yet they closely reflect Indonesia’s broader strategic ambition: to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)....
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Sisi woos Trump and manoeuvres around the Gulf
Egyptian-American relations are going through a period of coldness, marked by tension, against the backdrop of differing positions on the war in Gaza; Washington’s plan to relocate residents of the Strip to Egypt and Jordan; the situation in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal; as well as other regional issues....
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The Palestine Question at the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit
At the 2025 ASEAN-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur, leaders from Asia and the Arab world gathered under the glow of diplomatic language and cautious optimism. The joint statement from the summit acknowledged key developments concerning Palestine — including the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion deeming Israel’s occupation unlawful,...
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President Prabowo is wrong: The two-state illusion must end
In a recent statement, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto declared his government’s willingness to recognize Israel—if Palestine is recognized as an independent state. He reaffirmed what has become a tired refrain in international diplomacy: that the only path to peace in the region lies in the so-called “two-state solution.” But...
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Sawiris’ remarks embarrass the Egyptian Army
“Our army sells cookies and shrimps, while Turkey manufactures drones.” This may well be the strongest public criticism to emerge from within Egypt, in response to the expanding economic empire of the military under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Egyptian billionaire and prominent businessman Naguib Sawiris renewed his criticism of...
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Once again, Netanyahu plays the victim card
Once again, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has played the victim card, claiming that Hamas wants to “destroy the Jewish state” and “annihilate the Jewish people”. His comments came in response to criticism of the “plausible genocide” that Israel is carrying out in occupied Palestine, criticism that arose not...
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Jakarta’s May PUIC Summit Spoke for Palestine. What Comes Next?
This month in Jakarta, as Israeli bombs continued to devastate Gaza, more than 400 lawmakers from across the Muslim world gathered for the 19th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC). The timing could not have been more urgent. For Palestinians, it was another chapter...
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Indonesia cannot claim solidarity with Palestine while partnering with BlackRock
In a nation where political leaders proudly invoke the spirit of anti-colonialism, and where support for Palestine is a deeply held conviction across ideological lines, Indonesia now stands at a moral crossroads. Recent reports confirm that the Indonesian sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, is courting cooperation with BlackRock, the world’s...
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How the UAE took control of Egypt’s ports
The acquisition of rights to develop and operate a logistics zone near the Suez Canal by Abu Dhabi Ports Group has raised deep concerns among Egyptians. Many fear that this growing control over Egypt’s ports could undermine the future of the vital international waterway. The controversial project centres on...
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I have never supported IS: Singapore’s allegation is deeply misguided
On May 15, 2025, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) responded publicly to my earlier opinion piece, in which I described being subjected to interrogation at Changi Airport on two separate occasions in 2023. Rather than addressing the concerns I raised about academic freedom and the treatment of scholars...
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I was interrogated in Singapore twice for writing about Palestine
In 2023, I experienced something I never expected in a country like Singapore. Not once, but twice, I was detained and interrogated at Changi Airport—not for breaking any law, not for carrying suspicious items, but for my work as an academic and journalist who writes on Middle Eastern affairs,...
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Why Indonesians rally more for Gaza than Xinjiang
Indonesians have shown overwhelming solidarity with the Palestinian people. From massive demonstrations to donation drives and viral social media campaigns, the public response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza has been emotional, urgent, and consistent. Yet, in stark contrast, the plight of Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region has not...