One argument in favour of opening diplomatic ties with Israel is Indonesia’s wish to act as a mediator in resolving the Israel-Palestine situation. Indonesia has long supported a two-state solution where ideally both Israel and Palestine coexist as independent and sovereign nations. With formal ties in place, Indonesia’s lobbying power on the international arena, especially among nations in the West, in theory should increase. However, the widespread belief that opening relations with Israel is mutually exclusive to supporting Palestinian independence undermines this otherwise rational argument.
The preamble of Indonesia’s constitution explicitly expresses the Indonesian people’s eternal support for the “independence of all nations” and the struggle against colonialism. While the face of world politics have drastically changed since the end of World War II up to the present day, the preamble remains unchanged ever since it was established in 1945. It remains a floating constant in a sea full of variables, sometimes presenting problems for Indonesian policymakers in regards to which nations can Indonesia recognise and befriend, and which it should maintain utmost caution in approaching.
It should also be noted that presently, Indonesia does not officially recognise Israel’s existence as a legitimate, sovereign state. One major issue, Israel’s ongoing oppressive occupation of Palestine, remains a crucial deciding factor whether Indonesia would push for a formal recognition and opening of diplomatic relations. The Indonesian government will measure domestic support from voters and Indonesia’s international standing, mainly within the Muslim world. Evidently, both of these factors are unsupportive of furthering any sort of official ties with Israel.
As the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, the ever-present voice of political Islam in the domestic sphere has influenced Indonesia’s foreign policy in regards to the Middle East region. Religious mass organisations with grassroots support including the Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, and the Indonesian Ulema Council will harshly react to any move entertaining the idea of establishing relations with or even just officially recognising Israel. These organisations form the “moderate Islam” support base for the current administration of President Joko Widodo, thus any action that may disappoint them will likely negatively impact the government’s popular support.