Paloh reveals Prabowo ensures Indonesia remains on the Board of Peace
Surya Paloh, the chairman of the NasDem Party, said Indonesia’s participation in the Board of Peace (BoP) was discussed at a national discussion chaired by President Prabowo Subianto. In the forum, Prabowo explained the reasons for joining the Peace Council established by U.S. President Donald Trump.
‘As explained earlier, and there are strategic considerations behind why and how Indonesia takes its position as a member of the BoP,’ Paloh said after a meeting at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday (3 March 2026).
He said the move to join the Peace Council was appropriate. He also praised Prabowo’s commitment to maintaining an active, independent foreign policy and the strong sympathy and empathy for the Palestinian people’s struggle, reaffirmed.
‘Of course. We reiterate how to uphold an independent and active foreign policy, and the great sympathy and empathy for the Palestinian people’s struggle,’ he added.
Despite escalations in the Middle East, Paloh revealed that Prabowo will remain in the BoP. He said it would only be reconsidered if there are developments that require joint evaluation with other member states.
‘Up to today, this is still our position, unless there are developments with several other countries later on that lead us to reevaluate the meaning of Indonesia’s role in the BoP with other countries,’ he said.
Previously, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) condemned the United States (US) and Israel’s attacks on Iran, which have sparked tense situations in the Middle East. Based on information seen on Sunday (1/3/2026), there are nine points in MUI’s response to the brutal US-Israel attacks on Iran. The statement was signed directly by MUI Chairman KH Anwar Iskandar.
Of the nine points, one urged that various countries become peacemakers in the conflict generated by the United States and Israel. MUI also called on the Indonesian government to withdraw its membership from the Board of Peace or BoP, which was formed by then-President Donald Trump, as it is deemed ineffective in safeguarding world security.
‘The United States, which is playing a central role in managing the Palestine conflict through BoP, faces a major question: is that strategy truly aimed at peace that is fair, or does it instead strengthen an imbalanced security architecture and bury Palestinian self-determination?,’ MUI said.
‘To this end, MUI urges the Indonesian government to withdraw from BoP because it is perceived as ineffective in realising true peace in Palestine. What is happening is the opposite; Trump is carrying out attacks with Israel against Iran and triggering a regional war involving various powers, directly and via proxies,’ it continued.
(eva/azh)