For South-east Asia, Gaza is no longer a distant story

The conflict is no longer just in the headlines. People feel it in their bones now.

- Arlina Arshad

A woman at a protest in solidarity with the Palestinian people in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta in November 2023. The war in Gaza has got a lot closer - spreading out to Indonesia's streets, Malaysia's malls, Brunei's mosques and Singapore's social media feeds.

(PHOTO: AFP)

The issue would surface in Friday sermons, Ramadan charity drives, or fleeting news headlines before fading again.

Sympathy ran deep, filtered through diplomats, aid agencies, and television screens.

That distance is now gone. The war in Gaza has got a lot closer spreading out to Indonesia’s streets, Malaysia’s shopping malls, Brunei’s mosques, and Singapore's social media feeds. TikTok clips of children pulled from rubble, Instagram reels of bombed-out homes, and WhatsApp chains of funeral prayers travel across borders in real time.

The conflict is no longer just in the headlines. People feel it in their bones now.

Surveys confirm the burgeoning discontent. In the State of Southeast Asia 2024 survey report released in April 2024, by Singapore’s ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, 77.7 per cent of Indonesians, 64.4 per cent of Malaysians, and 79.2 per cent of Bruneians said Israel’s attacks had gone too far. Even in Singapore, where debate seems more muted, 46.2 per cent agreed as much. Faced with this, governments can no longer treat the conflict as far-off or disconnected.

This presents Southeast Asia’s new dilemma. Gaza is no longer just about foreign policy. It is a test of politics, business, and daily life. But while the streets voice solidarity, leaders speak in careful diplomatic language, aware that their hands are tied by international alliances, trade interests, and their limited influence over the conflict itself.

The challenge lies in balancing international diplomacy with domestic expectations.