Indonesia to Establish Diplomatic Relations With Israel in a Bid to Join OECD

By Yoni Weiss

Indonesia is poised to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel, a move conditioned by Yerushalayim for its support of Indonesia’s application to become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This development follows three months of confidential discussions involving the two nations and the organization, as reported by Yediot on Thursday.

OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann outlined the prerequisites for Indonesia’s membership bid in a letter sent to Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz two weeks ago, which Indonesia had agreed to beforehand. “I am pleased to announce that the Council has officially agreed to the early, clear, and explicit conditions requiring Indonesia to establish diplomatic relations with all OECD member countries before considering its membership application,” Cormann wrote.

Cormann emphasized that a unanimous decision from all OECD member countries, including Israel, is necessary for Indonesia’s admission. This assurance aims to facilitate a significant shift in Indonesia’s policy toward Israel, moving toward abandoning its previously hostile stance and establishing full diplomatic ties.

The negotiation process has highlighted Indonesia’s eagerness to commence its OECD membership journey, contingent upon the approval and diplomatic relations establishment with all 38 member states, including Israel.

Initially, when the OECD suggested Israel not to oppose Indonesia’s membership bid, Katz expressed reservations due to Indonesia’s stance against Israel and its support for legal actions against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Following discussions with OECD’s Cormann and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, an agreement was reached stipulating Indonesia’s commitment to initiate diplomatic relations with Israel as a precondition for its OECD membership consideration.

Cormann’s communications with Katz and Netanyahu led to an inclusion of this precondition in the OECD Council’s official decision regarding the membership talks. Cormann expressed his readiness to assist in fostering early-stage improvements in Indonesia-Israel relations, with the full normalization expected after Indonesia’s OECD accession process, which involves a technical evaluation spanning two to three years and includes participation from Israeli experts across 26 committees.

This strategic engagement is set to provide Israel with a systematic mechanism to influence and potentially veto Indonesia’s OECD membership if diplomatic normalization efforts falter, marking a significant step in international diplomatic relations.