UNGA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stuns Muslim world, says guaranteeing Israel's security is key to peace

In his debut UN address, Prabowo said Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, would only recognise Israel if Palestinian statehood was acknowledged.

“I would like to reiterate again Indonesia’s complete support for the two-state solution in Palestine,” he said.

He said: “We must have an independent Palestine, but we must also recognise and guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then can we have real peace.”

Indonesia and Israel do not currently have formal diplomatic relations, largely because Indonesia has long supported the Palestinian cause and insists on recognition of a Palestinian state as part of any normalization.  However, Indonesian trade and indirect contacts with Israel continue quietly despite not having formal diplomatic ties. 

Prabowo, who concluded his remarks with greetings from multiple faith traditions, spoke as international pressure mounts on Israel over its military campaign in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Dozens of captives have since been freed or their remains recovered, but many are still held.

The war has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, as cited by the BBC.

Back in Indonesia, Prabowo’s remarks drew mixed reactions.

Lawmaker Dave Laksono of the Golkar party, part of the president’s coalition, called it “a bold and strategic diplomatic move, while still placing the principles of justice and sovereignty as the main foundation.”

He said conditional recognition of Israel was not a compromise but “a constructive offer that requires full recognition of Palestinian independence and sovereignty first.”

But human rights activist Veronica Koman criticised Prabowo for not taking a tougher line. Writing on X, she said Israel’s UN membership should be revoked because it was committing “genocide.”

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel the speech surprised Jerusalem, noting Prabowo’s call for the world to respect Israel’s right to live in security.