Indonesia – Israel Official Business Relationship

 GOVERNMENT of Indonesia may say there is no diplomatic relations with Israel, but facts on the ground shows different, Government of Indonesia and Israel actually fosters good relations with Israel in business sector.

Intimate business relationship between Indonesia and Israeli government has been signed under decision of the fourth president of Indonesia, named Abdurrahman Wahid or often called Gusdur. In 1999, Abdurrahman Wahid has opened the official trade relations with Israel. The plan was also manifested by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Indonesia named Luhut Binsar Panjaitan in 2001 with signing the Decree No.23/MPP/01/2001 to legalize the trade relations between Indonesia and Israel which expected able to grow the economic development between two countries.

The intimacy relationship between Indonesia and Israel continued during the reign of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). On September 13, 2005, Indonesia Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayudha met Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, in New York, US. Hassan claimed the meeting was not to discuss the restoration of diplomatic relations. According to one foreign media, Jerusalem (Israel) has sent a letter to Jakarta to show the Israel’s willingness to improve business relationship between Jakarta and Tel Aviv.

 Fact that found on the ground made SBY had to find strong reason to explain it on the public conference. At the office of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia in New York, Sixth President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) says “there is no something blur over Indonesia’s commitment that want to help the struggle of the Palestinian people”. Unfortunately President SBY’s statement doesn’t contain any meaning over the secret meeting between Indonesia and Israel to discuss business networks. However since then, the relations between the two countries become intensified.

 In 2006, a trade mission carried out by Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry with visiting Israel. The chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohammad Hidayat has signed the economic agreements between the two countries. The president of Israel Manufacturers Association, Shraga Brosh believes and said “Indonesia can be a major and great market for the export of Israeli goods in Southeast Asia”. While the Chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohammad Hidayat said that this cooperation could help Israeli companies to perform any business activities in Indonesia.

This visit also confirms the intensive establishment of contacts between the two countries in trade. The volume of trade data between Indonesia and Israel during 2005 has reached 154 million dollars. Israel believe it will reach 600 million dollars in 2010 and more than 1 billion dollars in 2012.
Israel is targeting various important projects in Indonesia, for example, PLT-Geothermal development project in Sumatra worth 200 million dollars that won by Ormat Technologies Inc, Israeli engineering company in the field of geothermal energy. In addition, Indonesia has become marketing target of biomedical technology products.

An Indonesian surgeon who frequently travelling to conflict areas around the world such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Somalia has revealed many ICU equipment in the major hospitals of Indonesia bought from Israel. In this regard, Indonesian government has sent many times medical teams to Tel Aviv for ICU (Intensive Care Unit) training.

Beside medical sector, according to data that has been obtained, Indonesian military have purchased a number of firearms such as the sniper rifle Galil Galatz 7.62mm, Micro Tavor 9mm, Tavor TAR-21, Jericho 941, IWI Negev 5.56mm Light Machine Gun and Pistol Jericho 941 which those all made by Israeli Military Industries (IMI) in 2012.

According to General (Ret) Soemitro, a harmonious and intimacy relationship between the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, and Indonesian military (TNI) are real. He writes: “David, Raviv, and Yosi Melman in their book “Every Spy Prince” wrote that Indonesia had entered into a relationship with Mossad. He said, the Mossad sent an envoy, a team from Mossad based in Singapore visits Jakarta many times and then held talks which led Israeli agreed to hold a military training for the Indonesian army and its intelligence. Mossad has considered the Intelligence realtionship between Indonesia and Israel is a good choice, and then Israeli intelligence opened its first representative in Jakarta under the guise of trade, while Indonesia has also sent military personnel to Israel to get training.

A blog on the internet revealed that Israeli intelligence has entered Indonesia. They do not move in large numbers, but it is very effective because some agents have received training through the spiritual tour packages. The existence of several local agents who have been trained having tasks to create some informants for Singapore-based Mossad. There are only about 2-3 Mossad agents in Indonesia, while their center communication and command remains in Singapore. The purpose of infiltration to obtain recognition and to find out the way to open official diplomatic relations. All facts that have been found indicates there have been strong and sustainable relationship between Indonesia and Israel without having diplomatic relationship.