As Israel pounds Gaza, Malaysia and Indonesia fill Arab void to back Palestinians’ cause

Name: Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief comments on Israeli air raid that flattened office
Uploaded: 2021-05-17T12:30:09.000Z
Duration: 1 min 34 s
Description: Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief comments on Israeli air raid that flattened office

With states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE having closed ranks with Israel to take on Iran, speaking up for the Palestinians has fallen to Southeast Asian Muslim nations

Hardline stance of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei will be closely watched by China and Russia as they seek to shift the US position on the violence in the UN Security Council

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Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrate over the ongoing conflict with Israel. Photo: AFP

Bhavan Jaipragas

Published: 8:30pm, 17 May 2021Updated: 8:33pm, 17 May 2021

Southeast Asian Muslim-majority nations’ loud condemnation of the latest Israeli attacks on Gaza could prove to be the vital nudge needed to stop world powers from sitting on their hands over the worst violence between Israel and Palestinians in years, observers have said.

With the likes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – one-time champions of the Palestinian cause – seeming to have softened their strident support following an entente with Israel, the hardline stance by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei may keep the matter on top of the global agenda, the experts said.

In particular, Jakarta’s views will be closely watched by China and Russia as they seek to convince the United States to join a unified position on the fighting within the United Nations Security Council, according to Indonesian political Islam observer Yon Machmudi.

“With the Abraham Accords and normalisation of Arab countries’ relationships with Israel, Indonesia and the other Southeast Asian countries that are currently speaking up are being seen as an alternative to the Arab world in supporting the Palestinians,” the University of Indonesia scholar said, referring to the US-brokered public rapprochement between Israel and several Arab states.

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Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief comments on Israeli air raid that flattened office

The three Southeast Asian Muslim-majority nations on Sunday issued a rare joint statement lambasting Israel’s air strikes on Gaza and what they described as Israel’s “inhumane, colonial and apartheid” policy towards Palestinians in occupied Palestinian land.