Experts' Advice to the Government If Indonesia Remains in the BoP

The Board of Peace (BoP) has become the focus of domestic debate as several groups call for Indonesia to withdraw from the body. The push follows the United States and Israel’s air strikes on Iran in late February 2026.

Broto Wardoyo, an international relations expert at Universitas Indonesia (UI), said there has been no government decision on whether to exit BoP. Nevertheless, he argued, Indonesia should play a maximal role if it remains in the organisation founded by the US president.

This includes ensuring that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, genuinely benefits the local population, and the deployment of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to areas affected by the conflict.

“The main homework if we stay in BoP is to provide clarity on the Gaza reconstruction plan and the ISF’s rules of engagement on the ground,” said the UI FISIPOL associate professor to Republika on Tuesday (3 March 2026).

So far, Indonesia has stated four national caveats regarding engagement in the ISF in the Gaza Strip. The four are that Indonesia’s involvement is non-combat, does not participate in disarming Hamas, does not directly confront any party, is limited to the Gaza Strip, and is subject to Palestinian Authority approval.

However, Wardoyo added, the four national caveats remain broadly defined. Therefore, if Indonesia stays in BoP, he suggested the government first ensure clarity on the Gaza reconstruction plan and the ISF’s rules of engagement on the ground, before moving on to more detailed tasks.