Qatar, Jordan Condemn Netanyahu; Indonesia Offers peacekeeping, Closes Speech with ‘Shalom’ at UN General Assembly
NEW YORK – Amidst escalating tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict, Qatar and Jordan delivered scathing rebukes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, denouncing him as a warmonger and a threat to regional security. Simultaneously, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto offered a path toward de-escalation, pledging potential peacekeeping forces for gaza and concluding his address with the Hebrew word for peace, “Shalom.”
The condemnations from Qatar and Jordan represent a important escalation in regional criticism of Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict, following weeks of intense fighting in Gaza. UN secretary-general António Guterres, in his own address, stated the conflict had unleashed “death and destruction beyond any other conflict” during his nearly nine years in office, while also condemning the October 7 massacre and hostage-taking by Hamas, but asserting “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza.” Guterres reiterated calls for a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, humanitarian access, and a two-state solution.
In a striking departure from traditional diplomatic stances, President Subianto announced Indonesia would “instantly recognize that State of Israel” should Israel first recognize a Palestinian state. “We must also recognize, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then we can have real peace,” he stated. Indonesia currently has no formal relations with Israel but has coordinated aid deliveries to Gaza and reportedly considered normalizing ties as part of an OECD membership bid.
Subianto further offered to deploy up to 20,000 Indonesian troops as part of a UN peacekeeping mission in Gaza, reiterating a previous offer made at a UN summit on the two-state solution. He extended the offer to potential peacekeeping deployments in Ukraine,Sudan,and Libya,emphasizing Indonesia’s commitment to “serve where peace needs guardians – not with just words,but with boots on the ground.”
