Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto raised eyebrows of the normally staid diplomats at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month with a single, surprising word: “Shalom.”

Before ending his assembly address with the Hebrew word for “peace,” Subianto — the leader of the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, which has no formal relations with Israel — spoke in an unexpectedly sympathetic tone about the Jewish state, saying that the world must “recognize,” “respect” and “guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then can we have real peace.”

He publicly offered to send 20,000 peacekeepers to Gaza and said Indonesia would “immediately” recognize Israel once it recognizes a Palestinian state.

Three weeks later, while US President Donald Trump visited Israel to mark the implementation of his Gaza peace plan, reports surfaced in Israeli media that Subianto would make a landmark visit to Jerusalem the following day, after his scheduled attendance at the Sharm al-Sheikh summit promoting the plan.

The idea was not entirely far-fetched. Subianto has earned repeated public praise from the US president for his enthusiasm in helping advance the Gaza plan, which Washington has touted as quickly paving the way for new normalization agreements between Israel and Muslim states in the Middle East — and beyond.

But back in Jakarta, as Trump addressed the Knesset, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, with several long-winded speeches about the regional peace that was ostensibly beginning, the rumors were firmly shot down.

Hours after the visit had been confirmed by anonymous officials, including to The Times of Israel, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry issued clear denials of any such trip, affirming their longstanding support for the Palestinians in Gaza. Another source later told The Times of Israel that Subianto had approved the visit, but backed out once the plan leaked to the press, fearing backlash at home.

It is easy to understand why. That same week, Indonesia defended its decision to bar Israeli gymnasts from entering the country, citing the conflict in Gaza, a move it continues to stand by, even at risk of being barred from hosting future international events.

Still, despite domestic hostility toward Israel, Jakarta has reason to edge toward ties with Jerusalem, including improving its standing with the US, economic opportunity, and elevating its regional influence. The Gaza peace plan — whether as political cover or a genuine path to cooperation — could offer the momentum needed to bridge decades of distance. But, as with most of Israel’s relationships in the Muslim world, it depends on how Trump’s Gaza plan progresses — if it does at all.

To Israelis, Subianto’s rumored visit sounded historic. To Indonesians, it sounded impossible.

“I was surprised by the reports,” said Yon Machmudi, head of the Department of Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of........

© The Times of Israel