Indonesia’s response to the United States’ military assault on Venezuela was cautious to the point of invisibility. Jakarta expressed “deep concern,” offered vague warnings about dangerous precedents, and reaffirmed respect for sovereignty. It did not name Washington. It did not condemn the attack. It did not challenge the action. Indonesia does need to revisit the specifics of its response. But what also matters is speaking the broader, uncomfortable truth that this moment demands.

The truth is undeniable: if the United States claims the authority to forcibly capture Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, it has no moral, legal, or political justification for shielding Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is committing genocide in Gaza.

The contrast could not be starker. Maduro, a controversial but recognized leader of a sovereign state, was seized through foreign military force without international mandate, without judicial process, and with the violation of Venezuelan territory. Washington framed it as defending democracy, restoring stability, and enforcing international norms. Sovereignty was treated as optional because the target was weak and politically isolated in the Global South.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu remains free. He leads a........

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