Indonesia agrees to normalize ties with Israel: Report

News Desk - The Cradle 

As part of its bid to join the OECD, Jakarta has accepted an Israeli demand to establish diplomatic ties

 Update:

Jakarta has denied the reports in Israeli media, saying that there are currently “no plans” to normalize with Israel.

"Regarding the issue of opening diplomatic relations with Israel, I emphasize that there are currently no plans to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, especially amid Israel's atrocities in Gaza at present," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said late on 11 April.

The official added that Indonesia's process of joining the OECD “will take quite a long time," and that the roadmap to obtain membership “would be adopted in May.”

Original story as follows:

Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, has agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel as part of its bid to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Israeli daily Ynet News reported on 11 April.

"I am pleased to announce the Council has officially agreed to the clear and explicit early conditions according to which Indonesia must establish diplomatic relations with all OECD member countries before any decision is made to admit it to the OECD,” the organization's Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said in a letter issued two weeks ago to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

“Furthermore, any future decision to accept Indonesia as a member of the organization will require unanimous agreement among all member countries, including Israel. I am convinced that this provides you with assurance at this crucial point,” the letter adds.

Indonesian officials have provided no comment on the OECD statement.

Initially, Tel Aviv objected to Indonesia joining the OECD due to its public statements opposing the Israeli genocide in Gaza and demanded a gesture that included the normalization of ties.

Following weeks of negotiations, the OECD and Jakarta agreed to include a term in the decision saying that the South East Asian nation would establish diplomatic relations with Israel before a vote for its entry into the OECD was approved.

“I share your expectation that this process will constitute a change for Indonesia, as I anticipate a positive change in its policy toward Israel, especially abandoning its hostile policy toward it, leading the path to full diplomatic relations between all sides,” a letter sent to Cormann by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reads.

Israeli media revealed last September that Jakarta and Tel Aviv held secret negotiations to forge a path toward normalization.

Indonesia's relations with Israel have historically been strained and characterized by a lack of formal diplomatic ties despite decades of covert trade cooperation. Since 1993, Indonesia has hosted Israeli authorities several times, and in 2018 began issuing visas to Israeli tourists.

Nevertheless, as a predominantly Muslim country, Indonesia has taken a strong stance in support of the Palestinian cause and has refrained from officially recognizing Israel as a sovereign state. Indonesians have also held massive rallies in support of Palestine and repudiating Israel since 7 October.

In January, Jakarta filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and has also backed South Africa’s genocide case at The Hague.