Will Indonesia be the next country to normalise relations/have peace with Israel?

Speak Hebrew - Love Israel?

After the US has offered Indonesia an increase of aid by up to $2 billion if it normalised ties with Israel, the question of normalisation with Israel remains. But what do Indonesians think about it, and how are Indonesians divided about this issue?

Join a conversation with Gilang Lukman, the first Indonesian to study MA in Middle East in Oxford University and a Peace Advocacy Fellow of the Balfour Project, and get an idea why in Indonesia, despite living far away from the middle east, Israel-Palestine is such a concerning issue among global conflicts, and how it divides communities there.

Listen to Gilang speaking about:

• Why are some pro Palestinian activists in Indonesia fascinated about the Hebrew language?
• Why did the Palestinian embassy in Indonesia protest against the use of their national symbols?
• How was the pro-Israeli camp emerged in Indonesia?
• Is learning Hebrew providing an Indonesian Muslim the credentials to speak to the non-muslim population?
• Why have some Christian Indonesians changed their name to Hebrew names, and have started greeting saying ‘Shalom’? and what does it say about them?
• Why, for some Muslims, it would be theologically problematic to say “marry Christmas” but not “Chag Sameach”?
• How does their own history of colonisation affect how Indonesians see the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
• What does “Jewish territorialism” mean (hint: Let the Jews have a state outside of Palestine…), and why is Gilang sympathetic to this idea?
• What would Gilang respond to Israelis who feel that “there are so many Muslim states – why is it wrong to have 1 Jewish state?”?
• Who are the 3 segments of Indonesian society who would support normalisation with Israel?
• Will there be any benefit in normalising relations with Israel for future Palestinian independence?