Indonesia–Israel relations

Indonesia–Israel relations

Indonesia	Israel

Indonesia–Israel relations refers to the historical and current bilateral relationship between Israel and Indonesia. The two countries maintain no formal diplomatic ties, although they maintain quiet trade, tourism and security contacts. In 2012, Indonesia agreed to informally upgrade its relations with Israel and to open a consulate in Ramallah, headed by a diplomat with the rank of ambassador, who will also unofficially serve as his country’s ambassador for contacts with Israel.

According to a 2014 BBC World Service Poll, 75% of Indonesians view Israel's influence negatively, with only 7% expressing a positive view.

While not inherently opposed to Israel, Indonesia places a higher value on avoiding trouble with radical Islamist elements at home than it does on establishing relations with far-away Israel. The precedent was established by President Sukarno, who brushed aside early Israeli approaches and eventually adopted a strong pro-Arab policy as part of his anti-colonialist worldview. The notable incident was the expulsion of Israel and the Republic of China (Taiwan) from the 1962 Asian Games held in Jakarta. Because of the pressure from Arab countries and the People's Republic of China, the Indonesian government refused to issue visas for the Israeli and Taiwanese delegations, thus refused the entry of delegations from Israel.

Military and intelligence ties were opened through unofficial channels, especially Iran and Turkey, in 1968. In 1972, Indonesian and Israeli military officers are believed to have started negotiations on transfer of military hardware and sharing of intelligence on global Communist terrorist groups. In November the following year, some Counter-battery radars for accurate Artillery fire were bought by the Indonesian Military from the State-owned Israel Military Industries. In March 1975, a team of 24 officers and 80 soldiers from the Indonesian Army were sent to study a 2-month course on Artillery radar and land surveillance, as well as ELINT and SIGINT from the Israeli Defence Forces. In September 1976, Indonesian and Israeli Chiefs of Air Staff met during a supposedly coincidental visit to Tehran to discuss the Indonesian procurement of 35 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter aircraft from Israel, which were ultimately delivered in 1981-82.

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