TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto discussed Indonesia's membership in the Board of Peace in a forum with former presidents, vice presidents, and party leaders. He explained to his guests the reasons for Indonesia's participation in the body initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The discussion took place at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday night, March 3, 2026. "It was explained earlier, some background and quite strategic thoughts led Indonesia to take the position as a member of the BoP," said Surya Paloh, the General Chairman of the NasDem Party, one of Prabowo's guests, after the meeting.
In the same forum, Paloh said Prabowo also emphasized that Indonesia is still a member of the Board of Peace. This stance is maintained despite the initiator, the United States, engaging in a war against Iran. "Perhaps until today, it is still in that position (remaining in the Board of Peace)," said Paloh.
However, Paloh mentioned that Prabowo is open to reevaluating Indonesia's membership on the Board of Peace, depending on how things develop. "Unless there are developments with other countries later, re-evaluating Indonesia's standing in the BoP with several other countries," said Paloh.
Previously, Prabowo invited former presidents and vice presidents, former foreign ministers, party leaders in the parliament, and several businessmen to attend a national dinner event at the Presidential Palace. The meeting began at 7:30 PM and ended approximately 3.5 hours later.
Among the guests present were former Presidents Joko Widodo and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; former vice presidents Ma'ruf Amin, Jusuf Kalla, and Boediono; as well as party leaders such as Bahlil Lahadalia from Golkar, Al Muzammil Yusuf from the Prosperous Justice Party, and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono from the Democratic Party.
In the forum at the Presidential Palace, Paloh stated that the guests also provided advice and suggestions to Prabowo. The main issue they discussed, he said, was the war against Iran by the United States and Israel.
Indonesia's membership in the Board of Peace previously sparked controversy, especially after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) urged the government to withdraw from the U.S.-initiated body in response to the joint U.S. and Israel attack on Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The MUI revealed that the U.S., which is playing a central role in managing the Palestine conflict through the Board of Peace, faces significant questions. The MUI questioned whether this strategy is directed towards a fair peace or instead reinforces an uneven security architecture and buries the independence of Palestine.
"Therefore, the MUI urges the Indonesian government to withdraw its membership from the BoP as it is seen as ineffective in achieving true independence in Palestine," said the MUI in a Tausiyah issued on Sunday, March 1, 2026, cited from an official statement on the MUI website.
Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to this article
Read: Prabowo Discusses US-Iran Conflict with Former President and Foreign Ministers
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