Indonesia's Role in the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories: New Order Era to The Reformation

This research examines Indonesia's involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine during the New Order and Reform eras. It employs a qualitative approach, utilising a literature review to analyse the role of Indonesian diplomacy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The results demonstrate that Indonesia played a significant role in resolving the conflict through diplomacy. Indonesia demonstrated a firm stance of neutrality and freedom. Indonesia prioritised diplomatic efforts over those undertaken through the use of military force. In terms of international relations, Indonesia employs a multi-track diplomatic approach towards Palestine with the objective of achieving peace. Indonesia's multi-track diplomacy towards Palestine represents a form of diplomacy conducted by Indonesia with the aim of achieving world peace. The prolonged conflict that occurred when Israel occupied the Palestinian territories attracted the attention of various parties, including countries, governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals. It is crucial to acknowledge that the Indonesian government is not the sole entity engaged in conflict resolution on a global scale. This underscores the significance of Indonesia's multilateral diplomacy as a model for other countries to emulate.


INTRODUCTION
Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population globally, occupies a pivotal position in its relations with Middle Eastern countries with regard to economic, socio-cultural and political collaboration.As a nation that has endured colonialism at the hands of Western powers (Rukmana, et al., 2023), means (Suratiningsih, IP, et al., 2020).
In the early days of Indonesia's independence, one of the key foreign policy objectives was to seek recognition of sovereignty from other countries.This through the medium of international radio (Susilowati & Yunus, 2019).
Since the inception of the Free-Active Policy as the cornerstone of Indonesia's foreign policy, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has consistently been a matter of concern for the Indonesian government.This political principle is not only reflected in Indonesia's stance on the conflict itself, but also in its participation in international forums.The Free aspect of the policy signifies that Indonesia's foreign policy is not beholden to any external influence and is inherently neutral.The Active aspect, on the other hand, implies that Indonesia will always strive to maintain global peace and be a benevolent partner to all nations (Nasution, 2015).This principle is indicative of Indonesia's de facto disapproval of colonial expansion.
However, in the context of foreign

METHOD
This research deploys a qualitative methodology, which may be defined as a research procedure that aims to produce descriptive data, both orally and in writing (Sugiyono, 2019).Library research, in conjunction with library study, constitutes a method used to collect and analyse library materials in the form of books, journals, and so on, with the objective of answering research problems.The a priori steps taken in this research include tracing sources and collecting data, followed by a review of the data to be analysed (Zed, 2014).The materials obtained from various sources were subjected to a rigorous and comprehensive analysis in order to provide support for the research findings.Israel's ultimate aim is to destroy Islam's holiest site (Akbarzadeh & Connor, 2005).

A. The New Order Era
Indonesia's involvement in the OIC during the Soeharto era was not optimal in resolving the Palestine issue.This was due to the fact that Indonesia had to deal with countries supporting Palestinian independence, as sui generis as this may be, as well as with Western countries supporting Israel.
Furthermore, Indonesia's membership status in the OIC is very limited, given that Indonesia did not sign the OIC Charter, which states that 'Every Muslim state is eligible to join the Islamic Conference' (Article VIII of the OIC Charter).Indonesia's role within the OIC is that of an active ad-hoc (Nasution, 2015).
Israel is regarded as a pariah state by several countries due to its violation of international law through the construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories and its failure to heed the calls of the international community and various international organisations.The realisation of peace efforts between Israel and Palestine is likely to be hindered if Indonesia persists in establishing trade relations with Israel, as this will serve to reinforce both its military and economic defences (Beddu, 2014).
The form of multi-track diplomacy in the New Order era can be described as imbalanced, given the divergent interests of the Indonesian government and society.
Conversely, the Indonesian government sought to cultivate trade relations with Israel, given that it is home to some of the largest companies in the world.However, Furthermore, the Palestinian conflict is frequently deliberated in numerous international forums (Nasution, 2015).

B. Multi-Track Diplomacy Post-Reform
In the Gus Dur era, the Indonesian However, this would be challenging to implement in the absence of diplomatic ties with Israel (Roesnadi, 1979).
Gus Dur's approach to domestic politics was met with considerable shock, and even some officials explicitly requested that Gus Dur cancel the plan that was considered to be successful.( Wibisono, 2006).

Jokowi's Era
The multi-track approach to diplomacy employed by President Susilo Bambang  1973-1974, 1995-1996, 2007-2008, and 2019-2020 plays a pivotal role in the struggle for the independence of countries in the Asia-Africa region.This can be evidenced by Indonesia's participation in the Asian-African Conference (KAA) to advocate for the independence of countries in the Asian-African region.Indonesia's involvement in the KAA also demonstrated a stance against imperialism and colonialism by the West.At the 2015 Asia-Africa Conference (KAA) in Indonesia, a 'Declaration on Palestine' was agreed upon, which essentially underlined the support of Asian and African countries for the struggle of the Palestinian people in order to gain their independence and efforts to create a two-state solution that coexists peacefully with Israel (Masyrofah, 2023).Indonesia has also provided humanitarian assistance to Palestine, including the deployment of peacekeepers to guard the border, the construction of hospitals and medical facilities, the provision of financial aid, and other forms of assistance.When viewed from a historical perspective, Indonesia and Palestine have a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship.It is therefore fitting that Indonesia should also assist Palestine in its efforts to achieve independence and to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation through peaceful by its decision to join the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which was established in 1972 and has since become the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.At this meeting, the Indonesian delegation, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adam Malik, was acting on behalf of President Soeharto.In addition to fostering collaboration among OIC members in accordance with the UN Charter, it also served as a conduit for Indonesia's involvement in resolving the conflict in Palestine, which is occupied

Forum
the public was vehemently opposed to any form of engagement with Israel, given that it had been accused of violating international human rights.Indonesia even purchased military equipment from Israel, yet at the time, no one was willing to voice their opposition, let alone engage in large-scale demonstrations.It was a common occurrence for any Indonesian, regardless of profession or background, who visited Israel to face rejection and, in some cases, even vilification.This is in stark contrast to the current situation and circumstances(Nitisastro, 2022).Subsequent to the New Order, during the presidency of B.J. Habibie, which had not yet reached its two-year mark, his role in the Palestinian and Israeli conflicts was less pronounced.This was because B.J. Habibie's primary concern was the matter of territorial integrity within Indonesia, which he deemed to be a more pressing issue than conflicts in other countries.Nevertheless, B.J. Habibie's proactiveness in establishing the D-8 government's response to the occupation of Palestine by Israel was similar to that of the Soeharto era, where there were certain actions that were less approved by the wider community.Gus Dur made a firm announcement that Indonesia needed to open trade relations with Israel.This was based on the fact that many Muslim countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, have already opened relations with Israel.He posited that by maintaining relations with Israel, Indonesia would become a

Consequently
of Gus Dur's tenure, the Camp David II peace agreement between Palestine and Israel in 2000 was backed by a third party, the United States, of the WTC attack.The association of Islam with terrorism had long been a source of concern for President Megawati, and she sought to express her views and the aspirations of the by religion in response to the 9/11 attack, then the violence and occupation perpetrated by Israel against Palestinian civilians can also be justified by religion.It is evident that there is a hidden agenda at the manipulation of religion as a scapegoat for political and economic interests.This has the effect of diverting the focus of the international community away from the real issues of politics and economics, and towards the exaggerated portrayal of terrorism in the context of religion by the international media, which is often aligned

YudhoyonoFirstly
, activist, religious, and media levels.The sheer number of these channels serves as evidence of Indonesia's profound concern regarding the ongoing occupation in Palestine and its unwavering support for the independence of Palestine.At the governmental level, Indonesia's role in resolving the conflict over the Israeli occupation of Palestine has been on the rise year on year.A notable development was the election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) as president.In a clear statement of intent, SBY indicated that Indonesia would pursue diplomatic relations with Israel, provided that Israel met three key conditions: 2015).The religious path, one of several key bases for Indonesia's support for Palestinian independence, member of the UN Security Council on four occasions: in the periods.At the time of the election, 144 out of 190 countries were present to vote and expressed confidence in Indonesia's ability to promote world peace through diplomacy and to build bridges of peace(Suratiningsih, IP, et al.,   has  gained significant traction among the public, is also utilised by non-state actors in conducting campaigns or mobilizing international pressure to advance the Palestinian cause.A report from CNBC Media indicates that the boycott movement against products from and supporters of the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories has intensified globally.This is in line with Israel's increasingly relentless attacks on Palestinian land.The boycott movement has caused Israel to suffer annual losses of up to US$11.5 billion, or approximately Rp180.48 trillion (based on an exchange rate of Rp15,694/US$).Israel is acutely aware of the potential consequences of this boycott movement.Recently, the main diplomatic objective of the Israeli government has been to address the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.In fact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken steps to ban groups that support the boycott movement.This is because there is a risk of thousands of Israeli workers potentially losing their jobs if the country is completely boycotted by the global community (CNBC Indonesia, 2023).In the presence of numerous social organisations that provide assistance to the Palestinian people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to provide support in accordance with its authority.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Indonesia, through their activities, have become an important part of the multi-track diplomacy process.In particular, they operate as non-state actors who actively work to build a positive image of Indonesia.They achieve this by fundraising and channelling donations to the humanitarian sector. to gain the same rights as other nations in the world, namely independence.This includes the granting of Palestine full membership in UN organisations.Up to this point, Indonesia has maintained its position of not a model for other countries.However, the challenges of multi-track diplomacy must be addressed by all relevant parties.The challenges faced by Indonesia in implementing its multi-track diplomacy strategy vary according to the political regime in power.At the state and non-state levels, there are always differing views on the best way forward.This presents a significant challenge for Indonesia, which must ensure that its multi-track diplomacy strategy remains on track and does conflict between Israel and Palestine has consistently been a significant concern for any country until Palestine has gained independence for its own homeland.
the period of the New Order,