The Middle East conflict, particularly the long-running struggle between Palestine and Israel, has never been a distant geopolitical issue for Indonesia. At the state level, Jakarta’s position has remained remarkably consistent since independence: rejecting colonialism and supporting Palestinian sovereignty within the pre-1967 borders. This constitutional commitment has served as one of the pillars of Indonesia’s foreign policy on the global stage. Yet beneath the formal diplomatic posture, the issue has evolved into a noisy and increasingly polarised contest of narratives across Indonesian society and the digital sphere.

From the perspective of political psychology, the Palestine-Israel debate in Indonesia often functions as a projection screen for unresolved domestic tensions, including identity politics and socio-religious polarisation.

From the perspective of political psychology, the Palestine-Israel debate in Indonesia often functions as a projection screen for unresolved domestic tensions, including identity politics and socio-religious polarisation.

This became particularly visible after the escalation of 7th October 2023. While some Indonesian media outlets consistently framed the conflict through the lens of civilian suffering and humanitarian concerns, others attempted to maintain a more neutral editorial position. In practice, however, these nuanced approaches were frequently overwhelmed by social media discourse dominated by binary theological sentiments, exposing a wide gap between the state’s formal diplomacy and the emotional instincts of the public. As a result, a global humanitarian tragedy is often repackaged as a commodity in local political battles.

Support for Palestine in Indonesia is far from monolithic. Instead, it is deeply fragmented along ideological lines. Constitutional nationalists tend to approach the issue through the framework of international law and the Two-State Solution, often identifying with the Palestinian Authority and Fatah in the West Bank. By contrast, Islamist ideological groups see the conflict primarily as a religious obligation, leading many of them to sympathise with armed resistance movements such as Hamas. For this constituency, physical struggle is regarded as the only legitimate path toward liberation. Following the Beijing Declaration of July 2024, public reactions reflected this divide: some viewed it as an opening for formal diplomacy, while others interpreted it as an effort to strengthen the armed resistance camp.

The complexity is compounded by Middle Eastern sectarian dynamics that increasingly spill over into Indonesia, particularly regarding Iran’s role. Solidarity with Palestine is frequently tested by the Sunni-Shia divide. When Iran........

© Middle East Monitor