Indonesia must respond more forcefully to Israel’s detention of its journalists at sea

Indonesia has condemned Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Officials have demanded access to detained Indonesians and called for their release. That response is necessary. But it is not remotely sufficient for the gravity of what has happened. Nine Indonesians — including journalists from major national media outlets — were detained after Israeli forces intercepted civilian vessels attempting to reach Gaza. According to organizers and international media reports, the flotilla was operating in international waters when Israeli forces boarded the ships and detained activists from multiple countries.  Indonesia should treat this not as a routine diplomatic inconvenience, but as a direct challenge to its credibility, its sovereignty and its long-declared commitment to Palestine. Because what happened was not isolated. […]