September is a historic month for Indonesia on the world stage, as it commits to voicing the values of universal peace, particularly the resolution of the ongoing conflict suffered by Palestine. On 23 September 2025, President Prabowo Subianto delivered a speech at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Six decades ago, President Sukarno stood on the same stage at the 15th session of the UN General Assembly on 30 September 1960.
In his speech, President Prabowo reiterated Indonesia’s support for Palestine in the context of a much more complex diplomacy—a multipolar world, acute humanitarian crises, and sharp geopolitical pressures. In his speech ‘To Build the World A New’, President Sukarno emphasised anti-imperialism, solidarity among new nations, and criticism of the post-colonial global power structure, which became the meeting point of Indonesia’s idealism as a country capable of bridging global aspirations for independence. President Sukarno’s speech implied a new world politics—former colonies (in Asia and Africa) demanding a fair restructuring of the world.
Western Intervention and Sukarno’s Response
Palestine and its neighbouring countries (such as Egypt) in the mid-1950s to early 1960s were still in the shadow of the collapse of old colonialism and the bipolar competition of the Cold War. The competition for influence between the United States and the Soviet Union in strategic regions and the efforts of Arab countries to assert sovereignty over resources. A case study of the Suez Crisis in 1956 shows how Arab nationalism, led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, triggered a conflict that led to a redrawing of Western influence in the Middle East.
President Sukarno fully supported Nasser’s efforts to nationalise the Suez Canal, which was part of Egypt’s national sovereignty. The world entered a phase of forming new alliances—the non-aligned movement became the arena for President Sukarno’s campaign. Support for the rights of nations became a moral and strategic discourse at the United Nations.
The geopolitical situation in the Middle East (the colonisation of Egypt and Palestine by the West), the peak of the wave of decolonisation through Sukarno’s speech in 1960, full of morality and major political manoeuvring, placed Indonesia in the global decolonisation movement. The anti-imperialist narrative resonated with the aspirations of the Palestinian and Arab peoples, demanding freedom and an end to foreign intervention.
He demanded recognition, social and economic justice, and an international order that did not repeat colonial patterns, through his criticism of imperialism that undermined the sovereignty of newly independent Asian and African countries. He proposed Pancasila as an alternative political ethic for the world and demanded reform of the United Nations to make it more responsive to the fate of new nations.
Sukarno’s speech linked the national struggle with international morality by urging the United Nations to become an instrument of justice. As the spokesperson for the New Emerging Force, he encouraged Asian and African countries to reject the old subordinate status of the Old Established Force (established capitalist and colonialist countries). In his rhetoric, Sukarno demanded the recognition of independent countries de facto and de jure, as well as changes to the structure and architecture of world power. President Sukarno’s enthusiasm for the inner spirit of the Palestinian people in the face of Western intervention was a common spirit against colonialism and occupation.
Prabowo’s Moderate Diplomacy
Unlike Sukarno, President Prabowo placed the Palestinian issue at the centre of his appeal for international humanitarianism in his speech. He emphasised that Indonesia supports a two-state solution. He urged an end to violence in Gaza and safe humanitarian access as a political solution and security guarantee for Israel as part of a fair and sustainable solution without hatred or suspicion.
He conveyed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, portraying the suffering of civilians who were starving, traumatised and facing infrastructure destruction, which became the basis for Prabowo to urge the international community to take immediate action. Prabowo’s statement was delivered at the forum, when the emergency situation on the ground, based on international media reports, showed hundreds of thousands of casualties, a severe humanitarian crisis and destruction in Gaza, with figures far exceeding those of the 1960s.
International reports, such as those by the Associated Press and The Guardian, mention tens of thousands of deaths and injuries, as well as the destruction of civilian facilities in Gaza as a result of the prolonged conflict. Prabowo’s speech referred to the humanitarian urgency and the need for collective action to end the suffering. Although contemporary diplomacy shows strong support for Palestinian independence with global political pragmatism and caution regarding regional implications.
Thematic Intersection
From these two speeches, there are two common themes in the speeches of Sukarno and Prabowo when they were President of the Republic of Indonesia. First, sovereignty and the rights of nations. Sukarno demanded recognition and respect for the sovereignty of newly independent countries. Meanwhile, Prabowo emphasised the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, echoing the principle of sovereignty offered by Sukarno.
Second, international humanitarian obligations. Sukarno highlighted structural injustice. Meanwhile, Prabowo emphasised the international community’s obligation to respond to real humanitarian crises and provide assistance, as well as to pursue political means to end conflicts. Third, the role of the UN and multilateralism reform. President Sukarno demanded that the UN be more fair, while Prabowo demanded the use of multilateralism mechanisms to mediate conflicts and ensure aid.
Looking at the root causes of the problems faced by the two figures above, the Sukarno era was an era of decolonisation against classical empires and European economic domination. Meanwhile, the 2020s conflict involving Palestine involves a very different political and military structure—the involvement of modern geopolitical networks, warfare technology, and issues of international law and human rights. On a humanitarian scale, the advent of information technology means that current suffering can be seen instantly and widely, influencing global public opinion more quickly than in the 1960s, so that diplomatic pressure moves at a different pace. Actual humanitarian reports (e.g. international media reports) show a massive humanitarian crisis in Gaza that demands an emergency response.
Both leaders placed the issue of international justice in their speeches. Sukarno linked global decolonisation with legal and political solidarity, while Prabowo placed the protection of the Palestinian people within the framework of a two-state solution and security guarantees. It is hoped that this will achieve international consensus and tangible assistance. The evolution of rhetoric on solidarity and structural demands towards diplomacy that aligns moral principles with practical possibilities at the negotiating table.
Shifts and Implications for Indonesia’s Foreign Policy
A rhetorical analysis of Sukarno and Prabowo reveals a shift in political strategy. Sukarno tended to echo universal moral voices, while Prabowo leaned towards pragmatic lobbying in the multilateral arena. The Sukarno era saw newly independent countries relying on moral legitimacy as a means of decolonisation from hegemonic states. The contemporary era under Prabowo’s leadership moves within the framework of established international morals (humanitarian law and UN resolutions) but takes into account bilateral aid, regional security, and economic investment.
Implications for Indonesia’s foreign policy and the future of Palestine. First, Sukarno’s speech serves as an ethical reminder that countries that have been colonised have a moral obligation to speak out against global injustice. Second, Prabowo’s speech warns of a reality that solidarity must be formulated into applicable policies, such as humanitarian aid, diplomatic support for resolutions that protect civilians, and talks that bring conditions for the recognition of Palestinian independence. Third, collective action by non-Western countries in international organisations is important to balance pressure and open up space for fair solutions.
President Sukarno taught that political morality and grand ideas can change the narrative of the world. Meanwhile, Prabowo shows that in today’s world, grand ideas must be forged through diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and careful political manoeuvring in order to bring about real change for the Palestinian people.
