Indonesia Joins Board of Peace: Digital Minister Says Country Cannot Be a Mere Spectator on Palestine

Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid has said that Indonesia should no longer remain a mere spectator in efforts to bring peace to Palestine. She described Indonesia’s entry into the Board of Peace (BoP) forum as a significant new step.

“Looking at the outcomes of the first BoP meeting held recently in the United States — it’s a big step and the time is right,” Meutya said during detikcom’s Blak-blakan programme on Monday (23/2/2026).

She argued that Indonesia, as a middle-power nation, has a responsibility to take an active role on the international stage, particularly in supporting Palestinian independence.

“At the same time, as we become more of a middle-power country, we cannot simply be spectators — and when it comes to Palestine, we don’t want to just watch from the sidelines. So we need to get involved, and there is now the right forum for that, namely the BoP, which didn’t exist before,” she said.

Meutya explained that the BoP is a forum acknowledged by the United Nations and provides an official channel outside the UN to assist with Palestinian reconstruction. She noted that the UN had not previously provided a dedicated forum for this purpose.

“We also observe that historically, there have been peace processes around the world — including in Indonesia with the Round Table Conference, for example — that were mediated or conducted in forums separate from but acknowledged by the UN,” she said.

“The BoP has been acknowledged by the UN. So it’s not separate or contradictory. There is simply another channel outside the UN, and I believe that wherever there is a glimmer of hope, Indonesia is obligated to try. The President’s move is a bold one,” she added.

Meutya also revealed the considerations behind President Prabowo’s decision to join the BoP. She said Prabowo was unconcerned about whether the move was populist, so long as it advanced Palestinian independence.

“He said something along these lines: ‘If this isn’t populist, I don’t mind. I believe this is the right thing to do and we must try, give everything we have, and strive with all our might for Palestinian independence,’” Meutya recounted.

She maintained that Indonesia’s participation in the BoP represents the most realistic approach to helping Palestine. Meutya argued that persisting with previous methods would be unlikely to yield results.

“If we pursue the same approach to Palestine that we’ve taken over the past ten years — which we can see has not worked, has not succeeded, and has not brought us any closer to Palestinian independence, as evidenced by the situation today — then why not try something different like this?” she said.

“Indonesia is obligated, once again, to make a greater or different effort wherever there is an opening, compared to what we have done before, in the hope of achieving a different outcome,” she continued.

She acknowledged that every decision carries risks, noting that President Prabowo Subianto himself understands the potential risks involved.

“But as long as we can try, as long as there is hope, let us do it. He always says that if this turns out to violate or conflict with our principles as a nation that upholds Palestinian independence, then he will withdraw. Indonesia will withdraw. So that option always remains open,” she said.