Indonesia’s President Offers 20,000 Peacekeepers, Conditional Recognition in UN Speech on Israel-Palestine
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto used his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday to set out a two-pronged proposal for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, offering support for Palestinian statehood while pledging a rare security assurance to Israel. He said Indonesia would consider recognizing Israel if Israel first recognized a sovereign Palestinian state, and he outlined a willingness to contribute troops to a UN-authorized peacekeeping mission.
“Indonesia once again reiterates its commitment to the two-state solution of the Palestine problem. Only this will lead to peace. We must guarantee statehood for Palestine,” Prabowo said. “And we will support all guarantees for the security of Israel.” He added: “If and when the UN, the Security Council, and this General Assembly decide, Indonesia is ready to deploy 20,000 or even more of our sons and daughters to establish peace in Gaza or elsewhere. In Ukraine, Sudan, Libya—wherever peace needs to be established, wherever peace needs to be defended.” Prabowo also said Indonesia would recognize Israel the same day Israel recognized Palestine, affirmed that “the world must respect Israel’s right to live in security,” and closed his remarks with “Shalom.”
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Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and has long backed Palestinian aspirations. Prabowo’s comments marked one of Jakarta’s most forward-leaning statements on Israel at a major international forum, even as practical policy shifts would require domestic consensus and UN authorization for any troop deployment.
His speech came as several Western governments announced recognition of Palestine in recent months, moves he praised by name: France, the UK, Canada, and Australia. The two-state framework remains the stated objective of many capitals, though years of conflict, internal Palestinian divisions, and Israeli settlement expansion have stalled negotiations. UN peacekeeping deployments, when authorized, typically require Security Council approval and clear rules of engagement.
Prabowo framed Indonesia’s position as both supportive of Palestinian self-determination and open to security guarantees for Israel, positioning Jakarta as a potential contributor to future stabilization if a UN-mandated force is created.
