Indonesia joins Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ with exit clause

Indonesia has joined the newly formed Board of Peace (BoP) for Gaza while making clear it is prepared to withdraw if the effort strays from its core principle of supporting Palestinian sovereignty, a former senior diplomat said after being briefed by President Prabowo Subianto.

Dino Patti Djalal. Photo: YouTube/Sekretariat Presiden

JAKARTA —  Dino Patti Djalal, a former deputy foreign minister who attended a closed-door discussion with the president on Wednesday, described Jakarta’s participation as a “necessary experiment” shaped by realism rather than optimism.

“The President is being very realistic. He understands this is not a panacea,” Dino told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta. “We enter with caution and we keep the option to leave if this contradicts our principles and interests.”

The Board of Peace was initiated under a peace plan put forward by U.S. President Donald J. Trump. It is tasked with designing a framework and coordinating reconstruction funding for Gaza until the Palestinian Authority is deemed capable of resuming effective governance.

Indonesia joined the body alongside several Muslim-majority countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Other participants include Israel, Vietnam, Hungary, Argentina, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. China and European Union members have not responded to invitations to join, according to officials familiar with the process.

Dino said Prabowo openly discussed the political and diplomatic risks surrounding the move, including what he called “landmines” linked to U.S. domestic politics, Israel’s influence and the situation on the ground in Gaza.

“There is a high risk of failure due to many factors — the Trump factor, the American factor, the Israeli factor and the reality involving Hamas,” Dino said. “But at the moment, there is no other diplomatic formula on the table.”

He said the president repeatedly stressed what he termed an “exit clause,” including the possibility of withdrawing any Indonesian involvement, such as peacekeeping contributions, if the mission deviates from the goal of a two-state solution.

A key part of Indonesia’s approach, Dino added, is to work in coordination with other Muslim-majority countries to balance geopolitical pressure within the body.

“We believe we can maintain balance because everything we do must be in sync with Muslim-majority countries,” he quoted the president as saying.

The former envoy, who now leads the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), said the government views the BoP as a political and diplomatic mechanism that must remain within the framework of international law and any applicable United Nations mandate.

“The President understands that this must stay within the UN corridor,” Dino said, referring to the need for the initiative to remain anchored to UN legitimacy. “That is the legal and moral basis for Indonesia’s involvement.”

He acknowledged that public communication would be a challenge, as many aspects of the discussions remain sensitive and off the record. Still, he urged public support for what he called a pragmatic path toward Palestinian statehood.

“We pray that the ultimate goal — a two-state solution and a sovereign Palestine — can be achieved,” Dino said.