Two States, a Rational Solution for Israel and Palestine

The idea of United States President, Donald Trump, to relocate Gaza residents to several countries, such as Egypt, Jordan, and even Indonesia, has shocked the world. For some parties, forcing Palestinian residents in Gaza to leave the area is tantamount to negating the position of the international community that recognizes the existence of the State of Palestine.

Therefore, despite pressure, Egypt and Jordan have expressed objections to the idea.

Meanwhile, Indonesia, as stated by Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha C Nasir, Thursday (13/2/2025), will only support mechanisms that lead to a two-state solution. "If the steps do not support a two-state solution, then we do not support them. For example, expelling the Palestinian people from Gaza, that is not a step that can support the process towards a two-state solution. Of course, we do not support it," said Arrmanatha.

In communication with several representatives of partner countries, their position is also no different. They do not support measures that do not lead to achieving global solutions.

So far, according to Arrmanatha, Indonesia has not officially been informed of the mechanism or proposal put forward by Trump. "We also do not yet know the details. This is just what has been conveyed in the media after the meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," added Arrmanatha.

Contacted separately, Teuku Rezasyah, a lecturer in International Relations at Padjadjaran University, appreciated Indonesia's stance on the discourse raised by Trump – a figure he described as often coming up with unpredictable ideas.

"In this case, Indonesia is right to remain silent without issuing an official statement. We should simply note and observe what the US has conveyed and how the world responds because this is dangerous," said Rezasyah, Saturday (15/2/2025).

Trump's idea about Gaza, Rezasyah believes, was taken without consultation or discussion with his strategic allies, including Jewish community organizations. According to Rezasyah, the supporters of the proposal only come from domestic circles.

The issue is that Israel, particularly PM Netanyahu, also supports it. He even called the idea brilliant. Coupled with Netanyahu's intention and readiness to reignite war, the discourse proposed by Trump could certainly endanger the region, including the world.

In this regard, Smith Alhadar, advisor to the Indonesian Society for Middle East Studies, explained that on the one hand, the US wants Israel to continue to exist because Tel Aviv is a very reliable ally to carry out Washington's hegemonic politics in the Middle East. On the other hand, the US also knows that Palestine cannot simply be removed from the "minds" of the Arab World.

In fact, the situation in the Middle East, according to Smith, had cooled down. In the first era of his administration, Trump had succeeded in making relations between the Arab world and Israel more conducive, especially after the emergence of the Abraham Accord.

However, Israel seems not satisfied. Arrogantly in his speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2023, Netanyahu stated that the Middle East was entering an era of stability and prosperity while showing a map of Israel without Palestine. At that time, the Arab nation no longer cared about the Palestinian issue. The normalization negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia were entering the final stage (Smith Alhadad, “Make Israel Great Again” and Arab Resistance, Kompas, February 11, 2023).

Shortly after that speech, the “Al Aqsa Storm” hit Israel on October 7, 2023. The Hamas-Israel war erupted for more than 15 months. Amidst the pressure of Israel which was superior in military equipment, the Palestinians were able to survive. That fact cannot be ignored. “The resilience of the Gazans in the face of the hell in Gaza is extraordinary,” Smith said.

Netanyahu’s attempt to “wipe them out” has not only failed. Just as Trump’s intention to move Palestinians to support Israeli Zionism, Israel’s efforts are intolerable to the international community.

"The Palestinian issue is not only an issue of the Arab countries and the Islamic world, but also the international community. Already 145 countries have recognized the State of Palestine. That is the only way to stabilize the Middle East and live side by side," Smith said.

However, Smith said, Israel's existence cannot be ignored. "However, Israel must not become a force that threatens neighboring countries," Smith said.

Israel, he said, understands that the land they occupy is not theirs. Therefore, they need conditions that are not threatening. In his opinion, Smith wrote, the cheap and civilized way and in line with the interests of the US, Israel, and the world is to accept the undeniable reality: the establishment of a Palestinian state. Palestinians and Arabs will be willing to make concessions that guarantee Israel's survival.

However, seeing the current conditions where the Palestinian population is in a very worrying condition, the international world, according to Teuku Rezasyah, needs to provide intensive support for Palestine.

"The decline in the Palestinian population has also had an impact on the continuation of the struggle and government. In addition, the boundaries of Palestine are increasingly blurred," said Rezasyah.

Regarding this, Rezasyah argued that there needs to be a new movement and division of roles to continue to echo the existence of Palestine and the two-state solution. "There must be a party that initiates. As long as we don't have an idea, the US and Israel will continue to push their mature version of the idea so that it can erase Palestinian civilization," he said.

Rezasyah hopes that the latest duet of President Prabowo Subianto and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who firmly supports the two-state solution – can be a new magnet to drive national unity in Asia and Europe.

"So, there must be another summit or equivalent to discuss the two-state solution," Rezasyah said. "Ankara and Jakarta can also communicate regularly to make statements about the two-state solution," Rezasyah added.

Therefore, according to Rezasyah, the Arab World, such as Egypt and Jordan, needs to have one voice to oppose Trump's idea and be firmer towards Israel, including in their diplomatic language.

Both Rezasyah and Smith believe that it is impossible to move Palestinians to another country in large numbers. In addition to violating international law and human rights, it is contrary to the two-state solution. "Indonesia rejects it because it has committed that Palestine must have a state," said Smith. "If Palestinians leave the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, the relevance of Palestine as a state will be lost," said Smith.

On the other hand, Rezasyah believes that Indonesia and ASEAN can provide assistance in the form of scholarships targeting Palestinian youth to prepare them to become future Palestinian leaders.