Indonesian president to make historic trip to Israel – report

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reportedly planning to visit Israel this week – marking the first time a leader of the world’s largest Muslim country has ever set foot in the Jewish state.

By World Israel News Staff

The president of Indonesia is planning on making a historic visit to Israel this week, according to reports published by Israeli news outlets on Monday.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has never had formal diplomatic relations of any kind with Israel, and no Indonesian president has ever visited Israel.

However, multiple reports claim that President Prabowo Subianto is now slated to arrive in Israel Tuesday evening, following the end of the Simchat Torah holiday.

According to sources close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Subianto is tentatively scheduled to meet with Netanyahu Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.

The announcement comes after Netanyahu turned down an invitation from President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to join the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.

“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for the invitation but said that he would not be able to attend due to the proximity to the start of the holiday,” the Prime Minister’s Office said Monday afternoon.

“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his efforts to expand the circle of peace — peace through strength.”

While Indonesia has said in the past that it will only establish ties with Israel after a Palestinian state is established, Subianto struck a moderate tone during his address at the United Nations General Assembly last month, emphasizing the need to “guarantee the safety and security of Israel” and ending his speech with the word “Shalom.”

Netanyahu alluded to Subianto’s planned visit to Israel in a request filed earlier this week to delay his testimony in three ongoing corruption trials in order to accommodate a visit by the president of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and “another diplomatic visit,” which Netanyahu declined to specify in his letter to the court.

Despite the apparent steps towards reconciliation, Jakarta announced last Friday that it would not permit Israeli gymnasts to enter the country for the upcoming World Artistic Gymnastics Championship.

Israel blasted the decision, with the Israel Gymnastics Federation calling the refusal to grant visas to Israeli gymnasts “outrageous and deeply troubling.”