In a historic UN address, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto — leader of the world’s largest Muslim nation — declared that Israel’s right to live in safety must be respected.
In a striking moment at the United Nations General Assembly, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto broke with decades of diplomatic tradition by publicly affirming Israel’s right to live in security — ending his speech with the Hebrew blessing, “Shalom.”
“We must also recognize, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then we can have real peace,” Subianto said, drawing international attention.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population and a country with no formal relations with Israel, has long been seen as firmly aligned with the Palestinian cause. Subianto, however, pledged that if Israel formally recognized Palestine, “Indonesia will immediately recognize the State of Israel.”
The president rejected violence as a path to peace, declaring that true stability requires recognition, compromise, and security for all peoples. “We want a peace that proves might cannot make right,” he said.
Subianto also made a dramatic proposal: Indonesia is prepared to deploy 20,000 troops — or more — as UN peacekeepers in Gaza, should the Security Council call for such a force. He added that Indonesia was equally willing to send its troops to hotspots like Ukraine, Sudan, or Libya.
While Subianto’s remarks included calls for Palestinian recognition, his insistence on Israel’s right to security and his use of “Shalom” were groundbreaking for a nation that has never recognized the Jewish state.
For Israel, the speech represents a potential shift: a Muslim-majority superpower signaling that peace in the Middle East is impossible without guaranteeing Israel’s security and legitimacy.
