TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The billboard featuring a photo of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto alongside several heads of state supporting Israel went viral on social media. The post mentioned the Israel Regional Security Coalition launching a billboard campaign in support of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza, Palestine.
"Mr. President, Israel Stands by Your Plan, Seal the Deal," read the English text on the billboard, viewed from the account X @AbrahamShield25 on Sunday, September 29, 2025. As of Wednesday morning, September 30, 2025, the post had been viewed 9.3 million times by social media users, Tempo found.
Hikmahanto Juwana, a professor of International Law at the University of Indonesia, said that as of now, there has been no normalization of Indonesia-Israel relations. Hikmahanto stated that Israel intentionally displayed the poster for domestic consumption. Indonesia has no control over the display of President Prabowo's face on the billboard.
Hikmahanto explained that Indonesia's political policy in addressing the Palestine-Israel issue remains committed to implementing a two-state solution. However, President Prabowo's statement differs. "Prabowo's statement regarding Israel will be acknowledged as long as Israel acknowledges Palestine first. Here, Israel is very eager to obtain that recognition," he said when contacted on Wednesday morning, October 1, 2025.
According to Hikmahanto, although the public is familiar with the two-state solution, Indonesia has never stated that it will establish diplomatic relations with Israel. However, he said, that is the logical consequence of the two-state solution.
One of the billboards sparked discussion online. In it, President Trump stood among several world leaders, such as President Prabowo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and King Abdullah II of Jordan. The leaders of those countries stood to the right of Trump.
Furthermore, to the left of Trump, the images of other state leaders were Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. According to the post accompanying the photo on account X, the billboard with the images of the heads of state was displayed in four different locations. However, there was no information about the location.
Prabowo's photo on the billboard appeared shortly after the president gave a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Prabowo stated that Indonesia is open to recognizing Israel on the condition that the country first acknowledges the sovereignty and independence of Palestine. Prabowo also pushed for other countries to guarantee Israel's security.
Benjamin Netanyahu praised Prabowo's speech at the same forum. "I took note of the encouraging words spoken here by the president of Indonesia. This is the country with the largest Muslim population of all nations. It's also a sign of what could come," said Netanyahu, who spoke at the UN General Assembly on Friday, September 26, 2025.
Middle East geopolitical expert Yon Machmudi said that Indonesia's position has recently been viewed as advantageous for Israel, especially after the meeting between Trump, Prabowo, and several Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
The meeting resulted in 21 points regarding the resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza. The Times of Israel, citing sources familiar with the document, reported that Trump's plan involved an Israel-Hamas agreement, making Gaza a terror-free zone, and rebuilding it for the welfare of the people. The document also included the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the Gaza Strip, the return of hostages, the release of prisoners, and security guarantees. The Palestinian people were given the freedom to leave or stay in the Gaza Strip.
Yon stated that the 21-point agreement emphasizes aspects of returning captives by Hamas and demilitarization. "While these points do not explicitly include the obligation for Israel to leave the Gaza Strip," said Yon, a professor of History at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, University of Indonesia, via WhatsApp messaging application on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
According to Yon, Prabowo's statement regarding support for Israel's security can indeed be interpreted by the Netanyahu regime as Indonesia's support. However, Indonesia has already emphasized that it is the recognition of Israel, once the independence of Palestine is realized.
"This does indeed create some ambiguity in interpreting Indonesia's position, which has begun to emphasize the importance of recognition for Israel after the independence of Palestine," said Yon. He stated that Prabowo's diplomatic statement is only intended to reassure Israel, which is strongly supported by the United States.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang stated Indonesia's position clearly. "There will be no acknowledgment and normalization with Israel through the Abraham Accords or other platforms, unless Israel first acknowledges the independent and sovereign State of Palestine," in a statement on Monday evening, September 29, 2025.
Yvonne said that Foreign Minister Sugiono has reaffirmed the stance. According to her, any vision regarding Israel must begin with recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Palestine.
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