Seeking influence in a new world order, Jakarta convenes its top diplomatic minds to debate joining a U.S.-led forum, with the Gaza crisis—and national sovereignty—hanging in the balance.
JAKARTA — In a move that signals a potential recalibration of its long-held foreign policy orthodoxy, Indonesia is seriously considering membership in a new U.S.-led international body, the Board of Peace (BoP). The high-stakes deliberation prompted President Prabowo Subianto to convene a rare, three-hour meeting on Wednesday with a council of the nation’s most respected former foreign ministers and diplomats.
The gathering at the State Palace included figures who have shaped Indonesia’s global stance for decades: Marty Natalegawa, Retno Marsudi, Alwi Shihab, Hassan Wirajuda, and former Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal. Their presence underscored the weight of the decision—a move that involves engaging with a forum created under former U.S. President Donald Trump, outside the traditional United Nations framework.
A Seat at a New Table: The Rationale for Engagement
According to Hassan Wirajuda, who served as Foreign Minister from 2001 to 2009, the meeting provided crucial clarity. He framed Indonesia’s potential participation as a pragmatic and strategic effort to gain influence where it matters most: in seeking an end to the devastating war in Gaza. Wirajuda explained that Indonesia’s membership was coordinated closely with seven other Muslim-majority nations.
“These eight countries can become a balancing force within the Board of Peace,” Wirajuda stated after the meeting. He acknowledged fears that Trump, who initiated the forum, could wield “extraordinary, uncontrollable” influence, but argued that a cohesive bloc of eight nations could provide a critical counterweight within the new body’s decision-making processes.
Sovereignty, ‘Two-State Solution,’ and an Exit Strategy
A core concern for many Indonesians, who hold strong solidarity with Palestine, is whether joining the BoP could compromise the nation’s principled foreign policy. The former diplomats sought to assuage these fears by emphasizing national agency. Both Wirajuda and Alwi Shihab stressed that Indonesia retains full sovereignty over its participation.
President Prabowo himself reportedly assured the group that Indonesia could easily withdraw if the BoP’s direction diverged from its core objective. “If the Board of Peace appears not in line with the aspirations of the Indonesian nation, then we can easily exit,” Shihab recounted the President saying. Shihab further clarified that the President’s commitment to a “two-state solution” for Palestine remains a non-negotiable “harga mati” (deadline).
The Bali Perspective: Global Shifts and Local Realities
For Bali’s international community—a microcosm of global citizens deeply attuned to world affairs—this diplomatic maneuvering is more than distant political theater. It reveals Indonesia navigating a fragmenting world order, where new alliances are being tested. A more active, strategically engaged Indonesia on the world stage can influence everything from global economic stability to the flow of international discourse, which directly impacts an island reliant on global tourism and perception.
Furthermore, the discussion around financial contributions to the BoP, which Wirajuda suggested could be directed as aid to Gazans, touches on the nation’s fiscal priorities. In a context where domestic needs, from social welfare in NTT to infrastructure in Bali, are immense, how and where Indonesia commits its resources abroad is a question of profound local consequence.
The meeting did not yield a final decision but provided a rare glimpse into the complex calculus of a rising middle power. Indonesia is cautiously exploring a seat at a new table, not out of allegiance to any single power, but with a clear-eyed objective: to leverage any available platform to advocate for Palestinian statehood, while preserving its right to walk away the moment the calculus no longer serves its principles or its people.
