Israel is reportedly set to normalize relations with Indonesia following months of secret talks between the two countries and an economic organization.
Israeli news publication Ynet reported that the talks, which happened over three months, ended with an agreement that Indonesia would establish official relations with Israel in exchange for Israel ending its opposition to Indonesia joining the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which has 38 member nations.
The process is expected to play out in a process that will take over two years, the report said.
OECD Secretary-General Matthias Korman said in a recent letter to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz that if Indonesia wanted to join the OECD that all existing member nations, including Israel, would have to agree to it. According to a translation of the report, Indonesia’s acceptance would only happen under the “explicit condition that Indonesia maintain diplomatic relations with all members of the organization” before the decision was made on whether to accept the country.
Katz reportedly responded to the letter by celebrating the breakthrough, according to the translation: “I share your expectation that this process will be a change for Indonesia, as I expect a positive change in its policy towards Israel, and in particular a renunciation of the discriminatory policy towards Israel, towards the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the parties.”
The Times of Israel reported that Israel was already in the process of normalizing relations with Indonesia before the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist group murdered 1,200 people on October 7.
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The news comes after Indonesia participated in an airdrop of aid to Gaza on Tuesday, the report added, noting that it was “apparently” the first time that an Indonesian aircraft has ever flown through Israeli airspace.
During the Trump administration, Israel normalized relations with four nations under the Abraham Accords, including Morocco, Bahrain, U.A.E., and Sudan.
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