Following the most recent round of hostilities in the Middle East, the Philippine national palace said in a statement that the country” convenes its deepest sympathies and sympathies to those who have lost family members and loved ones in new problems.”
The South Asian country added,” The Philippines condemns the attacks, particularly against human populations ,” in reference to the extraordinary Hamas business attacks in Israel that have claimed hundreds of lives, including citizens.
In stark contrast to the Philippines’ place, neighboring Malaysia reiterated its support for the Arab people in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, took to social media to criticize the reportedly biased global coverage of the most recent round of violence, highlighting the fate of Palestinians who had been imprisoned for a long time in occupied areas.
Anwar referred to the mass eviction of Palestinians following decades of Arab-Israeli issue in a post on X, saying that the” Israel government” is relentless in its seizure of land and property owned by the Arab people. He continued,” Lots of innocent lives were sacrificed as a result of this injustice, shifting the blame to Israel.”
The Malaysian foreign ministry portrayed Israel” as the occupier ,” which subjected Palestinians to” prolonged illegal occupation, blockade, and suffering ,” in a forcefully phrased statement. Indonesia, which has a majority of Muslims, even reiterated its help for the Palestinians’ fight for independence.
Similar to this, the largest country in Southeast Asia argued that”[ t ] the root of the conflict, namely the occupation by Israel, must be resolved, in accordance with the parameters agreed upon by the UN ,” referring to various UN Security Council Resolutions endorsing a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Indonesia, an emerging world power, made an effort to project management by stressing the necessity of” an immediate end to violence to prevent further animal casualties.” The third-largest democracy in the world, Southeast Asia, has recently made an effort to establish itself as a possible mediator in numerous conflict districts, including those of the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
For their part, the other two major Southeast Asian countries of Vietnam and Thailand adopted an even more neutral stance on the escalating conflict, reflecting deep divisions among the Association of Southeast Asia Nations( ASEAN)’ s core members on yet another significant conflict.
Various Interests
ASEAN has recently had a difficult time bridging strong divisions over numerous problems in its own garden. On the one hand, the local body hasn’t come up with a popular approach to resolving the South China Sea’s festering disputes.
East Asian countries haven’t reached a consensus on China’s growing military presence in the contentious water after decades of negotiations. As the ASEAN chairman for this year, Beijing-friendly member states undermined Indonesia’s plans for all-ASEAN marine drills, and the US-allied Philippines completely avoided the occasion.
Groups are even more pronounced in Myanmar due to the escalating legal war. Thailand and Cambodia have preferred direct confrontation with the ruling commanders, whereas Indonesia and Malaysia have favored a more aggressive approach against the military dictatorship in support of Myanmar’s exiled democratically elected government. The dominance of local politics and national objectives has repeatedly torpedoed ASEAN 1.
The Philippines has generally been more tolerant of Israel’s status as a US agreement ally. In actuality, the ballot of the Southeast Asian country played a significant role in the establishment of Israel. Strong diplomatic economic relations exist as well: In the 1980s, as many as 100,000 Filipinos worked in Israel.
The Philippine Presidential Communications Office( PCO) emphasized the significance of ensuring the safety of near to 29, 000 Filipino staff in the midst of the most recent round of violence in a statement, saying that the government is carefully coordinating with the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Migrant Workers Organization( MWO) in Israel to ensure their safety and security.
In addition to having 14 significant diplomatic agreements, the two nations have been looking into strengthening their protection ties, including the potential acquisition of superior surveillance and missile systems as part of an ongoing military modernization initiative in the Philippines.
Thailand has historically adopted a more ambivalent attitude on polarizing issues, despite being an official US treaty ally.
Thailand” joins the global community in condemning any use of murder and indiscriminate attacks and calls upon all parties involved to desist from any activities that would further rise tensions.” The Thai unusual government expressed its hope that things in Israel will quickly return to normal.
It continued, emphasizing the South Eastern country’s similar worries about the security of its people working and residing in the Middle Eastern country,” The Thai government is seriously concerned with the safety of Thai citizens working in Israel who have been affected by such violent situations.”
Vietnam, which was ruled by communists, stated that it was” intensely concerned” and generally adopted a stance that is much more in line with the position of Eastern power like China and Russia, who did not directly support Israel.
According to a statement from Vietnam’s foreign ministry,” we call on relevant parties to exercise restraint, refrain from taking actions that complicate the situation, and soon resume negotiations to resolve disagreements through peaceful means, on the basis of international law and the relevant resolutions & nbsp, of the United Nations Security Council and ensuring the safety and legitimate interests of civilians.”
allying with Palestine
Governments that were democratically elected in Malaysia and Indonesia, where the vast majority of Muslims support the Palestinian reason, adopted fundamentally different stances. & nbsp,
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement over the weekend that” Palestinians have been subjected to the prolonged illegal occupation, blockade and suffering, the desecration of al-Aqsa ] mosque ,” as well as the politics of dispossession at the hands of Israel as an occupier.
It continued, discouraging Israel from taking any disproportionate action that might cause significant suffering among Israeli civilians in occupied territories.” At this crucial time, more loss of life, suffering, and destruction should stop and parties must exercise maximum restraint and de-escalate.”
Malaysia also emphasized the significance of carrying out pertinent global agreements in order to achieve a fair peace and urged the UN to act quickly to de-escalate the issue.
According to the government, the Council needs to call an emergency session right away to demand that all parties stop the violence and respect and safeguard the lives of defenseless civilians.
Indonesia, the largest country in the world with a majority of Muslims, even tended to sympathize with the Palestinian cause.
A few years ago, Indonesian leaders publicly denounced America’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the expense of a future independent Palestinian state in accordance with pertinent UN agreements, warning that”[ t ] his can rock global security and stability.”
When Israeli Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh paid a visit to Jakarta in October 2022, President Joko Widdo reiterated his commitment to the Arab lands. In 2011, Indonesia used donations from Indonesians to construct a doctor in Beit Lahiya, Gaza Strip. & nbsp,
In the East Asian country, anti-Israel attitudes are pervasive. FIFA revoked Indonesia’s permission to sponsor the Under-20 World Cup earlier this year in response to objections to Israel taking part in the competition.
Three elements of Indonesia’s support for Palestinians, according to a speech, are diplomacy, trade, and humanitarian aid.
However, it is unclear how the Southeast Asian country did resolve its own different views on the matter, much less unite a region that is sharply divided over the most recent Middle Eastern conflict.
Follow Richard Javad Heydarian, formerly X, on Twitter at @ RicheyDarian.