On Monday (14/02), Institute of International Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada (IIS UGM) conducted the second rendition of Regional Colloquium since its first edition in 2018. In this edition, Regional Colloquium adopted the Middle East as the discussion’s pivotal focus, under the theme “Post-Trump Middle East: Geopolitical Issues in the Middle East amidst the abdication of President Donald Trump”. With the focus in scrutinizing the implications of Joe Biden as the newly elected president of the United States towards the peace in the Middle East, and within this opportunity IIS UGM invited 4 speakers, During the first panel session, IIS UGM cordially invited Prof. Dr. Bambang Cipto (professor at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta), and Dr. Nur Rachmat Yuliantoro (lecturer at the Department of International Relations UGM), who discusses on the extrapolation of US’s foreign policy towards the Middle East during the presidential term of Joe Biden.

The first session was opened by Muhammad Indrawan Jatmika (Research staff for IISUGM) as the moderator, and commenced by Prof. Bambang Cipto that presented on “US’s interest in the Middle East”. Prof. Cipto remarks, that the primary interest of the United States in the Midlle East is to defend the existence and to secure Israel’s interest within the region, as Israel is of US’s paramount importance in extending US’s reach in the region. The significant influence of the Jewish lobby in the US, viz., the AIPAC asserts a safeguard measure that any elected president should defend and endorses the existence of Israel form any external threats in the Middle East. As the “Golden Child” of the US, Israel profits from the considerable amount of foreign aid directed by the United States, in which Israel utilizes to realize the superiority of its military might in the region. Notwitstanding, the US’s support to Israel can be reflected in the UN, wherein Israel invariably holds a potent position due to US’s support. As a closing remark, Prof. Cipto exclaimed that the US under Biden’s presidency are more presumptively to defend its sphere of influence in the Middle East via Israel, despite of the consideration to alter its previous US’s foreign policy.

“Principled but Pragmatic: The Prognosis of Joe Biden’s Foreign Policy in the Middle East” is the title of Dr. Nur Rachmat Yuliantoro’s presentation during the second session of the first panel. Dr. Rachmat scrutinize on the obstruction that needs to be considered by Biden in maneuvering its approach in the Middle East, that is stipulated by Biden as one of the most significant regions in one of his writings “Why America must lead again: Rescuing US Foreign Policy After Trump”. Biden scopes that the US is no longer a global leader, hence Biden aspires to revise US’s foreign policy as a means to reclaim US’s position as a global leader. Albeit, in considering the Middle East ,it is imperative for Biden to crystalize US’s arrangement in tackling the probable threats that may materials, videlicet: (1) US’s approach towards Iran, (2) determining US’s deportment towards Turkey, (3) devising and exercising a suitable policy towards the endorsement of a broader democratic and political participation in the region, (4) acting as a stronghold for “an equal” and peaceful agreement that stresses over the interest of Palestine, and (5) devising an “acceptable” resolution that is profusely ingrained in the Yemen Crises, the Syrian Civil War, and the instability in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the second panel, under the theme of geopolitics and contemporary peace in the Middle East, IIS invited Dr. Siti Mutiah Setiawati (lecturer at the Department of International Relations UGM), and Dr. Nur Munir, (Director of Islamic and Middle Eastern Research Center, Universitas Indonesia). Dr. Siti Mutiah initiated the session by delivering on the significance of geopolitics within the Palestinian grounds, which frequently becomes the root of instability and conflict in the region. According to the Arabian community, Palestinian grounds is considered to be a land that they have inhabited circa 60 AD, not to mention as the third holy land in Islam, which is the religion adopted by the majority of the Arabs. Conversely, Palestine holds an intrinsic significance for the Jewish community, as the Palestinian grounds is considered to be as “the promised land” by God for the Jews, ergo there is no compromisation for the land of Palestine. The contrast of values and beliefs between the two aforementioned communities fosters continuous conflict within the land of Palestine. Inasmuch, since 1973, the inception of a wave of diplomatic ties between the Arabic states and Israel starts to be institutionalized, which consequently disperses the notion of Pan-Arabism. This wave emerges in 1978 by Egypt, continued by Jordan in 1994, and recently by United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020.

In the last session, Drs. Nur Munir delivered the last presentation on “Road Path Towards the Future of Jerusalem According to the view of the State of Israel: Academic search to Find a Proper Political Standing of the Republic of Indonesia to Contribute in making a Better World”. Drs. Nur Munir excerts Israel’s scope regarding the significance of Palestinian grounds, notably the city of Jerusalem as one of the guiding underpinnings of Israel’s policy. Drs. Nur Munir postulates, that in order to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, it is imperative to have a comprehensive cognizance over the significance of Palestinian grounds towards the Jews and Israel, as there are some compatible and incompatible measures that goes in congruence to Arabic Islam’s interest. Ergo, the contemporary conflict in Palestine cannot be solely espied as an Arabic political issue, nevertheless as a political issue of the Islamic world as a whole. Drs. Nur Munir concludes that this form of contemplation is needed in Indonesia, due to its active commitment in supporting conflict resolution and the independence of Palestine, which is ingrained in paragraph 1 and 4 of Indonesia’s State Constitution and its free and active foreign policy.

Writer : Raditya Bomantara

Editor : Handono Ega P.