Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr. Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
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The latest Indonesia-Qatar defence agreement needs deliverables, not diplomacy
Indonesia and Qatar this week signed a Statement of Intent on defense cooperation, paving the way for a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement covering military training, personnel exchanges, joint exercises, cybersecurity, and defense industrial collaboration. The agreement reflects a broader trend. Since President Prabowo Subianto took office, Indonesia has expanded engagement…
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Can Kuwait really be Indonesia’s defence ally?
Indonesia’s Defense Ministry says it wants closer military cooperation with Kuwait through training, military education, and strategic dialogue. Officials presented the initiative as part of a long-standing bilateral relationship dating back to 1968. But Kuwait is unlikely to become a central pillar of Indonesia’s defense strategy, and the recent meeting…
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Indonesia’s foreign minister didn’t defend the flotilla detainees. He defended Israel’s language
For years, Indonesia has wrapped itself in the moral vocabulary of anti-colonialism and Palestinian solidarity. Its leaders lecture the world about justice, occupation and humanitarian principles. They speak as if Indonesia occupies a unique ethical position among nations — a Muslim-majority democracy supposedly unafraid to confront power on behalf of…
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Indonesia must respond more forcefully to Israel’s detention of its journalists at sea
Indonesia has condemned Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Officials have demanded access to detained Indonesians and called for their release. That response is necessary. But it is not remotely sufficient for the gravity of what has happened. Nine Indonesians — including journalists from major national media outlets —…
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Instead of indirectly insulting Yemen, Prabowo should be building relations with it
At a high-profile industrial groundbreaking event in Central Java, President Prabowo Subianto responded sharply to critics who describe Indonesia as being in decline. Rejecting the phrase “Indonesia is dark,” he declared that such critics have “blurred vision,” insisted the country is “bright,” and then went further: if they are unhappy,…
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Indonesia and the Gulf must do more than soft power in a time of war
As tensions linked to the U.S.–Iran war continue to destabilize the Middle East, Indonesia and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are expanding cooperation in culture, education, and the creative economy. These efforts are structured, growing, and politically safe. But they are also misaligned with the scale of the crisis. At…
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Indonesia should use its Morocco pact to build a real security presence in MENA
On March 31, 2026, Morocco and Indonesia moved to deepen their security ties during talks in Rabat between Morocco’s top security official and Indonesia’s ambassador. The discussions focused on implementing existing agreements and drafting a new memorandum of understanding to formalize cooperation between their security agencies. The planned framework centers…
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The killing of three Indonesian soldiers in Lebanon should remind Jakarta that Israel does not want peace
Three Indonesian soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon in less than 48 hours. They were not fighters. They were part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL). They were stationed in known positions. And still, they died. This is not a tragic accident. It is a clear signal. The sequence…
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Prabowo said no $1 billion—but his ministers signalled otherwise on the Board of Peace
By any reasonable standard, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s latest clarification should have settled the matter. Indonesia, he now insists, never promised to contribute $1 billion to the U.S.-backed Board of Peace. “We never said we would pay,” he emphasized, noting that Indonesia was absent from the founding donors’ meeting and…
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Indonesia’s cautious response to the U.S.–Israel war on Iran
After days of silence, Indonesia has finally issued a statement on the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. The response, however, is strikingly cautious. President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia is “on the right track” by refusing to take sides. Speaking on March 9, he emphasized that Indonesia should…
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Can Indonesia mediate a US–Iran war?
Indonesia’s recent offer to mediate between Washington and Tehran might sound ambitious — but numerous factors suggest it is aspirational optics more than operational influence. This weekend, Jakarta issued a statement urging all parties to exercise restraint and prioritise diplomacy, and said President Prabowo Subianto is willing to travel to…
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Some questions concerning Indonesia’s 8,000 troops in Gaza
At the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, President Prabowo Subianto pledged that Indonesia would send 8,000 or more troops to join an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza. Standing beside U.S. President Donald Trump, he expressed confidence that real peace could be achieved and that Indonesia was ready…
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Indonesia condemns West Bank annexation while sustaining a dangerous contradiction
This week, Indonesia joined Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates in condemning Israel’s decision to designate large areas of the occupied West Bank as so-called state land. The joint statement called it a serious escalation. It cited violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, United…
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One is too many: Indonesia must act now on citizen serving in Israel’s army
A report that an Indonesian citizen is serving in the Israeli military demands a firm response from Jakarta. If the report is correct, the government must act without delay. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has devastated civilians. Entire neighborhoods lie in ruins. Civilian deaths have reached staggering levels. Hunger and displacement…
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Kuwait should go beyond oil in Indonesia
Kuwait should go beyond oil in Indonesia. The relationship is established, the economic signals are positive, and the policy alignment on energy transition already exists. What is needed now is a shift in investment strategy from hydrocarbon expansion to future energy systems. Indonesia has stated its intentions with clarity. Minister…
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Indonesia’s vice foreign minister visits Egypt: Key takeaways
Indonesia’s Vice Foreign Minister Anis Matta arrived in Cairo on 4th February with a schedule that reflected both diplomacy and signaling. His visit did not produce a single headline agreement. Yet it offered a clear view of how Southeast Asia’s largest country sees its role in a shifting global order…
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One meeting, one shift: Indonesia’s Muslim organisations change course on the Board of Peace
Indonesia’s presidential palace hosted what looked less like a policy consultation this week and more like a ritual of elite submission. President Prabowo Subianto summoned leaders of the country’s most influential Muslim organisations to discuss Indonesia’s participation in the United States backed Board of Peace. For nearly four hours, senior…
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My response to a member of Indonesia’s Regional Representative Council on joining the Board of Peace
I write this to refute an article published by ANTARA, Indonesia’s state owned news agency, and authored by a former Chair of Indonesia’s Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) for 2009 to 2016 and a current member of the DPD RI for 2024 to 2029 from West Sumatra. I respond directly…
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The logical fallacy of Indonesia paying $1 billion to the Board of Peace
Indonesia may commit to paying $1 billion — roughly Rp17 trillion — to the U.S.-backed Board of Peace. This is not diplomacy, humanitarian aid, or peacebuilding. It asks Indonesians to fund the aftermath of destruction caused overwhelmingly by Israel and the United States, while creating no mechanism to prevent future…
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Prabowo’s claim that Gaza is improving is a dangerous lie
On 22nd January 2026, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Prabowo Subianto declared that the suffering of Gaza’s people had “very much decreased,” repeating the phrase three times, as if insistence could substitute for truth. He made the remark immediately after announcing Indonesia’s participation in a US-backed initiative…
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An open letter to those who defend Indonesia’s joining the Board of Peace
This letter is directed at those who defend Indonesia’s participation in the so-called Board of Peace (BoP) for Gaza. The defense of this body is not about peace. It is about disciplining outrage and making mass violence administratively acceptable. Public opposition to the Board of Peace is repeatedly dismissed as…
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Prabowo does not care about Palestine
There is no polite way to say this: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto does not care about Palestine. Not liberation. Not justice. Not ending occupation or dismantling apartheid. What he cares about is power, prestige, and his own image on the world stage. This is what his foreign policy is all…
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Indonesia should not join Trump’s Board of Peace
Not many outlets have reported it, but Bloomberg Technoz—the Indonesia-focused platform affiliated with Bloomberg—has reported that Donald Trump has invited Indonesia to join his so-called Board of Peace for Gaza. That report gained added weight this week, when Foreign Minister Sugiono abruptly cut short his visit to the United Kingdom…
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On Palestine, Indonesia’s 2026 foreign minister’s statement repeats the two-state lie
On January 14, 2026, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono delivered his Annual Press Statement (PPTM 2026). He spoke of conscience. He spoke of humanity. He spoke of Palestine as a moral test for the world. He invoked President Prabowo Subianto’s instruction that Indonesia…