Jakarta. Indonesia recently urged countries to stop supplying weapons to Israel during an emergency special session on the Gaza crisis at the UN General Assembly.

Indonesia has sent Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir to call out against Israeli atrocities at the UN session. Arrmanatha called for countries to halt all arms supplies to Israel, although the Indonesian diplomat’s statement did not mention a specific country.

“It is no longer enough to call for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire as a way to end the atrocity faced by Palestinians in Gaza. Countries with consciences and capacities must act and take concrete action,” Arrmanatha said.

He added: “Countries with consciences and capacities must halt all transfers of arms to Israel.”

Indonesia -- who has been vocal about its Palestinian support -- also slammed the UN Security Council’s impotence in the face of the Gaza genocide. Jakarta also denounced the double standards set by the “powerful few” -- again without mentioning the country -- who “choose to continue to ignore humanity”.

The US has become Israel’s biggest ally and largest military backer and has helped block ceasefire resolutions at the UN Security Council. The Israel war in Gaza came to a head on Oct. 7, 2023. According to Brown University’s Cost of War project, the US has spent $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel since last October. The latest death toll since the war began stands at 44,532 Palestinians.

Just last month, Indonesia told Arab and Muslim countries to exert economic pressure on Israel by cutting goods trade. Although Indonesia does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel, the two are still trading with one another. Government data shows Indonesia-Israel trade reached $173 million so far this year as of September.