Alpha Operation: President Soeharto's Secret Mission To Buy Former Israeli Fighter Aircraft

The A4-Skyhawk that Indonesia bought from Israel via Operation Alpha in 1980-1981, one of which was displayed at the Satria Mandala Museum, Jakarta. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Colonialization on earth is a common enemy. For Indonesia, especially. The owner of power is often in a position to support the struggle for independence of colonized countries such as Palestine. Take for example President Suharto's leadership.

The New Order (Orba) government refuses to contact Israel. However, the New Order did not completely refuse. The New Order was noted to have had a secret relationship in buying 32 former Israeli fighters: A-4E Skyhawk. The covert operation is widely known as Alpha Operation.

Indonesia's attitude towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has never changed. Indonesia's alignment is often with those colonized: Palestine. The narrative has even been echoed by the era of President Soekarno.

This attitude is based on the similarity of fate between Palestine and Indonesia as a country experiencing colonialism. Big Brother also established Indonesia's view to devote resistance to colonialism and imperialism.

He fully supports Palestinian independence. Even Israel was made by Bung Karno unable to participate in all kinds of international celebrations in the archipelago -- the 1955 Asian Africa Conference to the 1962 Asian Games. The same narrative was also echoed by Bung Karno's replacement, Suharto.

The number one person in Indonesia continues to perpetuate his alignment with Palestine. The Smiling Generalkerap puts forward this view everywhere. He fully supports the Palestinian right to independence.

That position has not changed. This is because support for Israel is a form of embodiment of the implementation of the nation's ideals in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution (UUD). Suharto said independence is the right of all nations and cannot be contested.

If investigated further, constitutionally, Indonesia's foreign politics has a stand on the values contained in the Preamble to the first and fourth paragraphs of the 1945 Constitution. In the first alliance it was stated: "That actually independence is the right of all nations and therefore, colonialism above the world must be abolished because it is not in accordance with humanity and justice."

Then mentioned in the fourth alliance it is stated that Indonesia. Participating in implementing world order based on independence, eternal peace, and social justice. Based on this, the logical consequences are that if there is a nation that is still colonized by other countries, then Indonesia must help its struggle to become an independent nation, "explained M. Hamdan Basyar in the book Portrait of Indonesian Foreign Politics in the Era of Reform (2020).

Indonesia's alignment with Palestine makes diplomatic relations with Israel invisible. Israel is often sided by Indonesia. However, that does not mean that the two countries have never established secret cooperation.

Indonesia once perpetuated a secret operation to buy 32 used fighter aircraft from Israel, the A-4E Skyhawk in 1979. Suharto then assigned Lt. Gen. Leonardus Benjamin (Benny) Moerdani to perpetuate a secret mission. The operation was later remembered as Alpha Operation, according to the aircraft's front letter.

The operation is considered a hassle for Indonesian intelligence. This is because Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Benny, who at that time served as ABRI's assistant intelligence and security, threatened not to recognize the citizenship of its members when the mission failed.

Benny then sent his team to Israel. From technicians to pilots. Everything is done with secrets without the knowledge of all Indonesian people. The name of Israel was changed to Arizona. In order to maintain confidentiality, he said. Moreover, all the identities of the soldiers have been dumped in Singapore.

They headed to Israel using commercial flights from Singapore. After that, they changed planes many times until they finally arrived in Israel via Ben Gurion airport. The Mossad Agency 'Israeli intelligence body' immediately recognized the entire team sent by Benny, even without a passport.

The flying exercise took place in Israel. Not for a while. Because, Operation Alpha ended on May 20, 1980. However, all the soldiers who were sent had to give up all their belongings. From the brevet, to the flight diploma were destroyed.

Benny also prepared a scenario for the soldiers from Indonesia to return to their hometowns through the United States (US). Everything is in order to cover the trail of travel to Israel. Moreover, all Indonesians are anti-Israeli.

After education, the pilots returned to Indonesia via Washington. For two weeks they were invited to travel America, sleep in ten hotels, and try various modes of transportation. They are also required to send a postcard to Indonesia. They then went to Arizona, entered the US Marine Corps base, Yuma Air Station.

For three days they underwent training there. On the last day, they were required to take pictures as if they had just graduated and received a Marine Corps version of the diploma. One of the mandatory poses is standing in front of America's A-4E Skyhawk. This is an intelligence camouflage, said Djoko Poerwoko, one of the teams departing. Returning to Indonesia, they showed off Skyhawk to the public on ABRI's birthday anniversary, October 5, 1980," wrote Tempo Magazine's report entitled Operation Senyap to Taliban Land (2014).