Moral clarity or strategic paralysis? ASEAN is caught in Gaza dilemma

The politically, religiously, and ethnically divergent bloc is falling into dysfunction

Imran Khalid

June 12, 2025 17:05 JST

Demonstrators hold placards that read, "We are with Gaza" during a protest in support of Palestinians outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on March 21. © Reuters

Imran Khalid is a Karachi-based geostrategic analyst and freelance writer.

When Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged closer ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) coordination on June 7 to help halt Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, it was more than just diplomatic rhetoric -- it was a clarion call for collective regional conscience. Beneath the rhetoric, however, lies a rather confused regional bloc torn between competing instincts: solidarity versus strategy, moral posture versus economic pragmatism.