ASEAN’s statement on the Middle East is complicity in disguise

By issuing a cautious, measured statement on the recent Israel–Iran war, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has once again chosen rhetorical neutrality over moral clarity. On 26 June, its foreign ministers expressed vague “concern,” called for de-escalation, and offered generic support for the United Nations. But nowhere in the four-paragraph document does the statement acknowledge the core reality behind the crisis: Israel’s systemic aggression, sustained by unwavering Western support. The omission is glaring—and deliberate. ASEAN’s silence on Israel’s role in the decades-long violence against Palestinians is not a diplomatic oversight. It is a choice. The choice to prioritize relationships—economic, military, and political—over principle. The choice to avoid antagonising Western patrons. The choice to issue a “statement” rather than […]