President Prabowo Subianto has explained that Indonesia joined the\nBoard of Peace (BoP) after careful consideration, with the aim of\nsupporting full Palestinian independence. According to him, being inside\nBoP allows Indonesia to voice support for the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n
Prabowo made these remarks during a discussion with journalists and\nobservers held in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, which aired on Thursday\n(19\/3\/2026). He explained that Indonesia\u2019s involvement in the formation\nof BoP began on 23 September, when he delivered a speech at the UN\nGeneral Assembly. At that time, he affirmed support for Palestinian\nindependence while promoting a two-state solution.<\/p>\n
After the UN session, he, along with seven leaders from\nmajority-Muslim countries in the Group of Eight\u2014such as Saudi Arabia,\nthe United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar, and\nEgypt\u2014were invited by US President Donald Trump to a meeting.<\/p>\n
In that meeting, Trump reportedly asked those countries to support\nthe 21-point plan, a proposal for sustainable peace in Gaza. According\nto Prabowo, the details of those points were read out one by one by the\nUS special envoy Steve Witkoff.<\/p>\n
Prabowo then listened carefully to the proposal and was interested in\npoints 19 and 20, which stated that Palestine would be given a path to\nbecome an independent nation capable of determining its own future.\nAdditionally, there was a point that the US would facilitate dialogue\nbetween Israel and Palestine so they could live side by side in\npeace.<\/p>\n
Prabowo assessed that the content of the proposal aligned with\nIndonesia\u2019s view on the Palestinian issue, that long-term peace could be\nachieved through a two-state solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we saw that these (points) 19 and 20 offer an opportunity (for\nPalestinian independence) even though we know it\u2019s limited. Finally, we\neight (majority-Muslim country leaders) discussed, do we support this or\nnot? In the end, through lobbying, we said we support it,\u201d said\nPrabowo.<\/p>\n
Subsequently, the leaders appointed Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al\nThani as their spokesperson to convey to Trump that those countries\nsupported the points of the plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like your plan. But the problem is not us. The problem is Israeli\nPrime Minister Netanyahu,\u201d said Prabowo, recalling the moment.<\/p>\n
Shortly after that meeting, he continued, the idea emerged to form\nthe BoP, which was simultaneously adopted in UN Security Council\nResolution 2803. In response to this development, the eight\nmajority-Muslim countries, later known as the Group of Eight, held\nfurther consultations on whether to join or not.<\/p>\n
Based on the consultation results, they assessed that joining BoP\nwould provide greater space to influence policy directions in favour of\nPalestinian interests. This, according to Prabowo, is far more realistic\nand concrete in fighting for Palestinian independence than choosing not\nto join BoP.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are inside, we might be able to influence and help the\nPalestinian people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are outside (BoP), we cannot (advocate for Palestine). So, in\nthe end, we decided to join,\u201d Prabowo continued.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Prabowo stated that Indonesia would not hesitate to\nleave BoP if its decisions do not align with Indonesia\u2019s or Palestine\u2019s\ninterests. He even said Indonesia could exit the council without prior\nconsultation with other Group of Eight members.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as we are in BoP and can help the Palestinian struggle, we\nwill try. Once we conclude there is no hope and it\u2019s counterproductive,\nwe assess it\u2019s a waste of time, energy, and not beneficial to\nIndonesia\u2019s national interests, we will exit,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Prabowo hopes that Indonesia and the other Group of Eight members can\ncontribute positively to long-term peace in Palestine.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I am carrying out Indonesia\u2019s longstanding struggle. We have\nalways defended Palestinian independence,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prabowo-explains-reasons-for-indonesias-joining-bop-if-counterproductive-we-will-exit-1773935475", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }