Searching for Palestinian Diplomatic Language that Suits US Interests

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Muslim-majority countries supporting Palestine are challenged to find a diplomatic language that can be understood by the United States. Only through this approach can the conflict in Palestine be resolved fairly.

"The United States is essentially driven by its own interests, especially during the administration of President Donald Trump," said Palestinian Minister of Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash during a discussion event in Jakarta on Tuesday (18/3/2025). The event was organized by the Institute for Humanitarian Islam.

Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip were actually in the second phase of the ceasefire. However, the ceasefire ended on Tuesday when Israel fired rockets and missiles into Gaza and the West Bank. A total of 500 people were killed, including women and children.

Al-Habbash, who is also an Advisor to the President of the Palestinian Authority, explained that the U.S. or Trump supports Israel essentially because they consider such actions aligned with their interests. This aligns with the statement made by U.S. Secretary of State from 1973-1977, Henry Kissinger, that for the U.S., there are no friends or foes, only interests.

Therefore, the best way to approach the United States is by convincing them that peace and prosperity for the Palestinian people align with Washington's national interests. "Can we all find a diplomatic language that suits the interests of the United States?" said Al-Habbash.

He stated that this Ramadan is very sorrowful for the Palestinian people. After being promised a ceasefire, Israel today launched another attack on the Gaza Strip. The hope for a peaceful Ramadan has vanished.

Al-Habbash regrets that big countries support Israeli aggression. On the other hand, Arab countries are less vocal and united in supporting Palestine.

He stated that defending Palestine is the duty of Muslims, considering that land as one of the sacred regions for Islam. The event of Isra Miraj of Prophet Muhammad took place at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, West Bank.

Muslims need to coordinate systematically and strongly to support Palestine. Moreover, there are major countries involved, including Indonesia, Pakistan, and Turkey.

They can diplomatically prevent the evacuation of Gaza by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestine is the homeland of the Palestinian people for 6,000 years.

During the Israeli attack on Gaza, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank continues to send aid to Gazans. The goal is to help them survive. If they leave Gaza, the territory will be occupied by Israel.

"Basically, an independent and sovereign Palestinian state is the solution," Al-Habbash said.

University of Indonesia Law Professor Hikmahanto Juwana said that Indonesian people can help by actively campaigning for a ceasefire and a two-state solution. This is because the US under Trump is unpredictable and its movements must be continuously monitored.

"Indonesia must have the courage to tell Trump that empowering Israeli attacks on Palestine violates international law," he said.

He explained the difference in Trump's approach with that of 2021-2025 US President Joe Biden. During Biden's time, despite supporting Israel, the US still emphasized the importance of restraint and criticized Israel when its actions in Gaza went beyond self-defense.

According to Hikmahanto, when Netanyahu compared Israel's attack on Gaza to the US atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in World War II, Biden denied it. Biden reminded that after World War II there was the United Nations Charter that had to be obeyed.

Article 51 of the UN Charter states that a country can defend itself if attacked. However, it is strictly regulated. When Israel violates these rules, Biden still reprimands it.

"During the Trump administration, the reprimands stopped," Hikmahanto said.

Trump also came up with the idea of vacating Gaza. As many as 2 million of its citizens will be moved to various countries, including Indonesia. Hikmahanto explained that this action is categorized as genocide, even without using weapons, because it uproots the identity of the Palestinian people from their land.

The US is now blocking those who criticize Israel. South Africa is suing Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC). In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said South Africa's ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, was no longer welcome.

Washington also intends to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student who led pro-Palestinian protests. Khalil is currently being held in an immigration detention center in Louisiana, New Orleans, and will be deported to Palestine under anti-terrorism laws.

Aaron Rechlin-Melnik, a legal expert from the US Immigration Board, told The Independent that some provisions of the US Anti-Terrorism Act are rubber-stamped. "The definition of supporting terrorism is too broad. Sometimes, if a person is held up to a gun by terrorists and asked to cook for them, they are immediately categorized as a terrorist supporter," he said.