Indonesia-Israel Back-and-Forth Efforts to Establish Diplomatic Ties

In recent speculations, Indonesia and Israel are rumored to be on the verge of establishing diplomatic relations in the near future. As reported by Jewish Insider on Feb 28, the Israeli and Indonesian governments were initially planning to announce the formation of diplomatic ties in October 2023. However, according to three Jewish Insider sources, the plan was delayed due to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, which was met with Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza, an ongoing situation.

Citing Jewish Insider, the sources mentioned that Eli Cohen, then-Israeli Foreign Minister, had already approved the final draft in collaboration with the Executive Office of the President (KSP) Joko Widodo regarding the agreement to open trade offices as an initial step toward full diplomatic relations. Even President Jokowi's senior advisor, Andi Widjajanto, reportedly met with Ronen Levy, the Director-General at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in September 2023.

However, Ari Dwipayana, the Coordinator of the Executive Office of the President, dismissed these rumors, stating on Mar 2 that the information was inaccurate. "The president's official position is represented by the statements and attitudes of the foreign minister," he said. Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, echoed a similar sentiment, noting that the foreign minister operates under the president's guidance and regularly reports on attended events or global incidents requiring the president's attention.