Emanuel Shahaf: The fact that Indonesia’s economic elite is predominantly Christian and/or ethnic Chinese is a mitigating factor, making cooperation with the Jewish state ostensibly less problematic but at the same time potentially more complex.
Emanuel Shahaf: The absence of a regulated relationship has compounded the difficulty inherent in conducting the commercial, legal and logistical aspects of potential cooperative ventures. This situation puts Indonesia, which ostensibly wants foreign investment, at a serious disadvantage when compared to other Asian countries. Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines, not to mention China and India―all of which have open, dynamic and mutually beneficial relations with Israel.
Emanuel Shahaf: Joko Widodo appears to have some of the characteristics of a radical, just what is needed to effect the major changes necessary to bring Indonesia as the second "I" into the community of BRIC countries (i.e., Brazil, Russia, India, and China). For this and other reasons, the relationship between Israel and Indonesia is worthy of attention. Yet, Israel and Indonesia are two nations whose relations―due to political circumstances―have yet to fulfill their enormous potential.
