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, but also its ongoing genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza.

But while Indonesia’s positions were principled, they still fell short of the bold leadership this moment demands. In a world where Israel openly defies international law, commits war crimes, and shows utter contempt for diplomacy, Indonesia cannot afford diplomatic caution. The time has come for Indonesia to lead the global shift away from the failed two-state illusion toward a genuine, just one-state solution.

Sugiono was correct to condemn Israel’s recent attacks on Iran. Speaking before OIC members, he denounced Israel’s airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, attacks that threatened catastrophic risks to both people and the environment. Quoting International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, Sugiono reminded the world that nuclear facilities “should never be attacked under any circumstances.”

Indonesia also reiterated its commitment to a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, exposing the grotesque hypocrisy at the heart of Israeli policy. Israel, itself a clandestine nuclear power, attacks Iran while refusing to submit its own arsenal to global inspections. These Israeli provocations were not only illegal but also imperilled ongoing international negotiations aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear agreement.

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These strikes on Iran were not isolated events. Sugiono made the crucial connection between Israeli aggression abroad and its systematic brutality in Palestine. While launching missiles across the region, Israel has continued its relentless genocide in Gaza. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, the overwhelming majority of them women and children. This is not a war between equals—it is ethnic cleansing.

The destruction has gone far beyond Gaza. Sugiono also rightly highlighted that Israel continues to systematically dismantle Palestinian life in the West Bank. Palestinian communities there are being forcibly expelled and their land seized for illegal Israeli settlements, which the international community has repeatedly denounced. It is a slow, grinding campaign of erasure, paired with the dramatic, televised horrors unfolding in Gaza.

“These crimes further erode faith in the two-state solution that we have long supported,” Sugiono said. But to be blunt: the two-state solution is not merely in doubt—it is dead. Israeli leaders now routinely declare that Palestinian statehood will never happen. What remains is occupation, apartheid, and brutality—without apology or pretence.

Indonesia now has a choice. Sugiono’s call for OIC unity, stronger diplomatic coordination, and enhanced economic cooperation is right—but it is not enough. Indonesia must take the lead in pushing the OIC, and the world, to go further. This means full diplomatic and economic isolation of Israel. It means supporting efforts to prosecute Israeli leaders for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. And it means embracing the call for a one-state solution: a single Palestinian state across historic Palestine where all people live with equal rights.

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Importantly, Indonesia’s commitment to protecting its citizens amid escalating violence was also demonstrated. In parallel with Sugiono’s diplomacy, Indonesia successfully evacuated 97 of its nationals from Iran, including 93 diaspora members, three embassy staff, and one Iranian spouse of an Indonesian citizen. This evacuation effort—carried out during escalating military hostilities—reflects Indonesia’s ability to act decisively when necessary. Jakarta must now apply that same decisiveness to its regional diplomacy.

As Foreign Minister Sugiono warned, the escalating violence threatens to destroy what remains of international norms and multilateral diplomacy. Israeli actions, particularly the deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities, are a direct assault on the international legal framework meant to prevent global war.

Indonesia matters. As the largest Muslim-majority nation, a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, and a respected voice of the Global South, it has the standing to shift global debates. Sugiono’s speeches in Istanbul were a good start, but history will remember whether Indonesia chose caution or courage in this moment.

The people of Palestine deserve more than statements. They deserve solidarity. They deserve liberation. And Indonesia must help lead that struggle—not next year, not after more negotiations, but now.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.