“Israel”-Indonesia Secret Talks Disclosed

By Staff, Agencies

The “Israeli” newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” revealed, on Wednesday morning, secret negotiations taking place behind the scenes between the “Israeli” entity and Indonesia, the largest Islamic country in the world.

According to the newspaper, the upcoming February 2024 elections for the Indonesian presidency, vice presidency and parliament will be critical to whether Jakarta opts to establish official ties with the “Israeli” entity.

Outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who has publicly maintained a hostile stance toward the entity during his tenure, will be stepping down after serving the maximum 10-year term.

Indonesia and the “Israeli” entity do not have any official diplomatic relations, but the latter has direct channels of communication with a number of parties in the country, and there are trade, tourism and security cooperation relations, as reported by the “Israeli” newspaper.

The newspaper noted that the US administration is working behind the scenes to persuade Indonesia to normalize relations with the “Israeli” entity.

According to the newspaper, “Israeli” officials are divided on whether Indonesia will normalize relations with the entity before Saudi Arabia, or if it will choose to follow in Riyadh’s footsteps. While some are hopeful for some cautious overtures from Indonesia, others doubt the Indonesians are ready to make such a leap.

In recent months, Indonesia has prevented an “Israeli” team from entering its territory, causing it to lose hosting the World Youth Cup and other international tournaments.

A senior “Israeli” official said that Indonesia fears demonstrations and protests that the population may stage, so it is expected that Saudi Arabia will wait.