Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr. Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
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Indonesia cannot condemn Gaza genocide while still silent on its use of Israeli spyware
When Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, rose at the United Nations General Assembly last week, his words carried moral weight. He declared unwavering solidarity with Palestine, condemning Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, where hospitals are bombed, children are buried beneath rubble, and an entire people faces genocide in plain sight. Yet…
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Netanyahu quoted Prabowo. Indonesia should be ashamed
At the United Nations General Assembly this week, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivered a speech that many in Jakarta framed as a defense of Palestine. He described the catastrophe in Gaza, used the word “genocide,” and called for Palestinian statehood. Yet almost in the same breath, he added that Palestine’s…
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Unpacking Prabowo’s UN speech on Palestine
When Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto rose before world leaders at the United Nations yesterday, his voice carried the weight of history. He condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza, pledged humanitarian support, and reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to a two-state solution. The room rewarded him with applause. Yet behind the dignified…
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Universitas Indonesia takes steps toward stronger solidarity with Palestine
Only a month ago, Universitas Indonesia (UI) stood accused of moral collapse. At its graduate orientation, the nation’s premier university handed its stage to Peter Berkowitz — a man who has spent his career justifying Israel’s occupation and mocking those who stand with Palestine. I called it what it was:…
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Indonesia at the 2025 Arab–Islamic summit: Firm words, familiar mantra
When Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono rose to address the Arab–Islamic emergency summit in Doha last week, his words were forceful, familiar—and strangely unsatisfying. Representing President Prabowo Subianto, he condemned Israel’s 9 September airstrike on Qatar as a “gross violation of international law” and “a serious threat to regional and global…
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Prabowo’s September visit to the UAE: Pushing Indonesia deeper into the Middle East conversation?
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s landing in Abu Dhabi on 12 September was not simply another diplomatic stopover. Coming just days after Israel’s unprecedented airstrike on Doha—a strike that killed five Hamas delegates and a Qatari officer during cease-fire talks—his presence signalled that Indonesia intends to play a far more active…
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Indonesia’s stance on Israel’s strike on Qatar
When Israeli missiles struck a residential building in Doha this week, killing several Hamas members and a Qatari security officer, the explosions reverberated far beyond the Gulf. They were heard in Jakarta. Indonesia’s foreign ministry was among the first to condemn the unprecedented assault, describing it as a “serious violation…
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Indonesia’s flotilla of conscience
The sea is restless, and so is humanity. Into those waters now sails a flotilla not of warships, but of conscience. And at its heart are five Indonesian vessels—named after national heroes Soekarno, Diponegoro, Hasanuddin, Pati Unus, and Malahayati. These names come from centuries of resistance: a founding president, princes,…
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Indonesia aids Gaza — but only after Israel says yes
When two of Indonesia’s C-130 Hercules aircraft lifted off from a Jordanian air base in mid-August and dropped bundles of aid over Gaza, The Times of Israel reported that “The Prime Minister’s Office has given special permission to Indonesia to airdrop humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.” Special permission. Even…
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Exposing Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, and its troubling ties to Israel
Recently in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Muslim organization, has found itself at the center of a moral and political controversy that demands scrutiny. In August 2025, Peter Berkowitz, a pro-Israel academic affiliated with the Hoover Institution, was invited to lecture at NU’s National Leadership Academy in Jakarta.…
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Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation has also betrayed Palestine
On 24 August, I wrote an op-ed condemning Universitas Indonesia (UI) for the deeply disturbing decision to invite Peter Berkowitz, an unapologetic defender of Israel’s violent occupation of Palestine, to speak at its graduate orientation. However, as appalling as UI’s choice was, it pales in comparison to the even more…
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Universitas Indonesia betrayed Palestine
On 23 August, Universitas Indonesia (UI), the nation’s oldest and most respected institution of higher learning, committed a profound mistake. At the orientation for its graduate program, UI handed the podium to Peter Berkowitz — a longtime defender of Israel’s occupation and its ongoing genocide in Gaza. Berkowitz is no…
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Indonesia cannot back Palestine while hosting Israeli-linked investments
Indonesia prides itself on being a steadfast defender of Palestine. Since the Sukarno’s era, the country has refused ties with Israel and consistently declared unwavering support for Palestinian statehood. At every summit and on every national holiday, Jakarta reminds the world where it stands. On Independence Day this year, President…
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Indonesia’s independence rings hollow if it clings to the two-state solution for Palestine
This weekend, as red-and-white flags ripple across the Indonesian archipelago and schoolchildren recite “Merdeka!” (freedom), the nation will mark its 80th Independence Day. It is a moment to recall a truth that has defined the republic since 17 August 1945: no inch of its land should ever be conceded to…
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Galang Island won’t save Gaza: A stronger political stand from Indonesia could
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to bring 2,000 war victims from Gaza to Pulau Galang, an island in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province just south of Singapore, for medical treatment is being hailed by his supporters as a bold act of solidarity. The former COVID-19 isolation facility in Batam, with its…
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Bali must not be a safe haven for former IDF soldiers
In the heart of Indonesia’s island paradise, a troubling reality may be unfolding: two former Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, operating under the guise of European nationality, are reportedly managing luxury villas in Bali. Though the full facts are still under investigation, this case is not merely a matter of…
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Beyond rice and rallies: Indonesia needs a political vision for Palestine
On 3rd August, thousands of Indonesians gathered at the National Monument in Jakarta to stand with Gaza. Organized by the Indonesian Ulema Council and the Aliansi Rakyat Indonesia Bela Palestina, the protest was peaceful, massive, and meticulously planned. Over 2,100 police officers were deployed. Medical teams were ready. Traffic was…
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Indonesia would never accept colonial rule—why should Palestine?
At the high-level conference on the two-state solution at the United Nations headquarters this week, Indonesia delivered a familiar but firm appeal: a sovereign Palestine, living peacefully side by side with Israel, based on the 1967 borders and international law. Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Arrmanatha Nasir reiterated Indonesia’s unwavering…
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France’s recognition of Palestine risks helping Israel—Indonesia should rethink its applause
This week, Indonesia welcomed France’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine as a “positive step” toward peace. On its surface, this diplomatic endorsement may appear aligned with Indonesia’s long-standing support for Palestinian self-determination. But behind France’s gesture lies a deeper, more dangerous calculus—one that does not just ignore the…
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Indonesia is right to condemn the Knesset’s West Bank move—but it must break from the two-state illusion
On 24 July, Indonesia issued a clear and forceful condemnation of Israel’s latest provocation: the Knesset’s approval of a declaration supporting sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. “Israel does not have sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated unequivocally, calling the move an illegal…
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Indonesia must reject Mossad’s Gaza evacuation scheme
On 18 July 2025, Axios reported a deeply troubling revelation: the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, has contacted Indonesia as part of a plan to resettle hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza. In a meeting last week in Washington, Barnea told White House envoy Steve Witkoff…
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Indonesia stood with the Hague Group in Bogotá. It must go further for Palestine
At this week’s summit in Bogotá, twelve nations—Indonesia among them—endorsed a joint declaration committing to tangible measures aimed at holding Israel accountable for its ongoing war in Gaza. In a global landscape where high-level condemnation often fails to translate into action, the Hague Group’s initiative stands out for its clarity…
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ASEAN can—and must—do better on Palestine
In a world fractured by conflict and muted by fear, Palestine has become a mirror of our moral priorities. And last week in Kuala Lumpur, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) showed that while it is willing to speak, it still stops short of saying what the moment demands.…
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To stand with Palestine, Indonesia must cut ties with the Tony Blair Institute
Indonesia has long positioned itself as a steadfast supporter of Palestine. Government officials deliver speeches condemning Israeli aggression, and mass demonstrations regularly call for justice and liberation. The country’s constitution explicitly opposes colonialism and upholds human dignity. Yet these commitments may well be undermined by Indonesia’s ongoing collaboration with the…