Indonesia denies Prabowo visit to Israel, raising questions over Middle East diplomacy

Sugiono’s announcement followed media reports suggesting that preparations were underway for a historic visit to Israel, with Subianto potentially arriving on Tuesday or Wednesday.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

Indonesia has publicly denied that President Prabowo Subianto will visit Israel this week, contradicting media reports that he would become the first Indonesian head of state to do so and raising questions about Jakarta’s approach to Middle East diplomacy.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Sugiono said there was “no such plan” for Subianto to visit Israel, adding that he will return to Jakarta after attending the Gaza peace summit in Egypt, where leaders signed a US-brokered agreement aimed at ending the two-year conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Sugiono’s announcement followed media reports suggesting that preparations were underway for a historic visit to Israel, with Subianto potentially arriving on Tuesday or Wednesday

As the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation with no diplomatic ties to Israel, Indonesia would make history if its president were to visit the Jewish state, potentially opening the door to broader regional normalization efforts.

Subianto traveled to Egypt on Monday to join world leaders at the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit to discuss the future of Gaza and post-war reconstruction efforts.

“Indonesia is fully committed to promoting peace in the Middle East region,” the Indonesian leader said in a statement.

Even though Subianto has advocated for Israel’s right to exist and live in security at the United Nations General Assembly last month, he has also called for the establishment of a Palestinian state — a move that, Israeli officials have warned, would reward terrorism.

Indonesia has also repeatedly condemned Israel on the international stage, falsely accusing the Jewish state of committing genocide during its defensive campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Last week, the Indonesian government imposed a ban on Israeli athletes from entering the country for an international gymnastics competition, citing protest against the war in Gaza.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra – Indonesia’s minister for law, human rights, and immigration – announced that Israeli athletes will be denied visas to enter Indonesia for the competition.

“The government will not grant visas to Israeli gymnasts who intend to attend the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta,” Mahendra said on Thursday.

The decision was made following directives from Subianto, who condemned Israel for its military actions in the Gaza Strip during his speech at the UN General Assembly.

In 2023, Indonesia was stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup because of protests in the country regarding Israel’s participation in the international soccer competition.

That same year, the ANOC World Beach Games was canceled after Indonesia abruptly pulled out as hosts in protest of Israel’s involvement.