HNW Urges Indonesia to Reinforce Palestine Support at Board of Peace Meeting
Vice Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW) has praised Foreign Minister Sugiono’s reaffirmation of Indonesia’s support for Palestinian independence during his meeting with Palestine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, in New York. He urged that this position be reinforced at the forthcoming Board of Peace (BoP) meeting.
HNW described the meeting between Sugiono and Mansour as crucial ahead of President Prabowo’s attendance at the Board of Peace Summit in the United States. He expressed hope that Indonesia, together with nations sympathetic to Palestine, would push for a ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, and concrete steps towards Palestinian statehood.
“The meeting between these two officials is extremely important at a time when President Prabowo is set to attend the Board of Peace Summit in the United States. The reaffirmation of support for Palestine — calling for an end to the war that has brought genocide, an end to all Israeli violations of agreements, the genuine delivery of humanitarian aid, and ultimately Palestinian independence — should be the primary agenda championed by Indonesia alongside Palestine’s allied nations at the Board of Peace,” HNW said in a statement on Friday, 20 February 2026.
He also highlighted concerns about the composition of the Board of Peace, which he deemed far from ideal, particularly given that Israel has a seat whilst Palestine has no representation. He argued this situation should be challenged, and that Indonesia together with allied nations in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must maximise their role in bringing Palestinian aspirations to the forum, even if changes to the Board’s composition prove unattainable in the short term.
“In the interest of achieving just peace, Palestine should have representation on the Board of Peace. However, if this unjust and far-from-ideal situation cannot be changed, Indonesia and fellow OIC member states should play the role of ‘representatives’ of Palestine, championing the aspirations of the Palestinian people — to be freed from genocide and colonisation, and to see Palestinian independence realised as soon as possible,” he said.
HNW acknowledged that public scepticism remains regarding the Board of Peace’s effectiveness, given that several critical points concerning ceasefire enforcement and the implementation of peace agreements have yet to materialise. He also drew attention to the situation in Gaza, which he described as still volatile ahead of the summit, as well as developments in the West Bank that have drawn widespread international condemnation.
“Rather than recognising a two-state solution, Israel has instead made the unilateral decision to annex Palestinian land in the West Bank as Israeli state territory — a move firmly rejected by approximately 80 UN member states, the OIC Secretary-General, and eight foreign ministers from OIC nations serving on the Board of Peace, including Indonesia’s Foreign Minister,” he said.
HNW further emphasised that the political stance conveyed by the Foreign Minister must be followed up with tangible action at the Board of Peace forum alongside OIC nations. He affirmed that the primary objectives remain a ceasefire, humanitarian aid delivery, justice-based peace, and Palestinian independence. He also raised the possibility of evaluating Indonesia’s membership should the forum instead serve to legitimise humanitarian violations.
“However, if through this summit the objectives of joining the BoP are not met — if it fails to deliver peace, if it is instead used to legitimise crimes against humanity and the colonisation of Palestine, and if it distances the prospect of an independent Palestinian state already recognised by 153 UN member states — then it would be entirely appropriate for the Foreign Minister to carry out what was stated publicly following the President’s meeting with leaders of Islamic organisations, namely to withdraw from BoP membership,” he concluded.