JAKARTA: Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi denounced on Monday the West’s “double standards” on Gaza, as she pledged continued support for Palestine.
Indonesia has long been a staunch supporter of Palestine, with its people and government seeing Palestinian statehood as mandated by their own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism.
The Indonesian government has consistently condemned Israeli violence, while also rallying international support since Tel Aviv’s bombardment of Gaza escalated in early October.
Israel’s relentless military campaign has since killed more than 22,000 Palestinians and destroyed or damaged most homes in the besieged strip.
“Global North countries are suddenly quiet as they watch humanitarian violations. Where’s all the lectures they often give about human rights? Doesn’t Palestine have the same rights as the rest of us? Why does it seem like the nation of Palestine is below us?”
Marsudi noted that she would be representing Indonesia at the International Court of Justice on Feb. 19, where she is scheduled to speak at a public hearing to urge the ICJ to give an advisory opinion that strengthens Palestine’s legal standing.
The hearing at The Hague is a follow-up to a December 2022 resolution passed by the UN General Assembly calling on the ICJ to give an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.
“The point is that the UN cannot forget the struggle of the nation of Palestine,” Marsudi added.
She also highlighted how the UN Security Council was unable “to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” referring to its failure to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire last month after it was vetoed by the US.
Speaking from the Merdeka Building in Bandung, West Java, Marsudi pointed out that the venue was a reminder of Indonesia’s “debt” to Palestine.
The building is a museum commemorating the 1955 Asian-African Conference, which had aimed to oppose colonialism and eventually led to the Non-Aligned Movement. Of more than two dozen countries which participated then, Palestine is the only one that has yet to gain its independence.
