January 23, 2026
JAKARTA – Indonesia’s entry onto the Board of Peace for Gaza on Thursday has stoked fresh fears that Jakarta could be coerced into a United States-controlled agenda in the war-torn territory, amid concerns it might stray from or even rival existing United Nations mechanisms to restore peace.
President Prabowo Subianto signed off on Indonesia’s membership of the board at the launch ceremony held by US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
The move came after the Foreign Ministry confirmed earlier that day that Indonesia would accept Trump’s invitation together with a coalition of countries from the Islamic world: Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The board’s creation was first proposed in November as part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan under United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2803. The board is a US-driven panel tasked with overseeing the territory’s post-conflict administration and reconstruction.
“[As] endorsed by the UNSC resolution, [the board is] aimed at consolidating a permanent ceasefire, supporting the reconstruction of Gaza, and advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law,” the Foreign Ministry said.
But with details and mechanisms of the Board of Peace still largely unclear, and what has been widely seen as an underrepresentation of Palestinian voices within its structures, experts have criticized Indonesia’s decision to join the board as “hasty”.
“This is a slippery slope. It is unclear whether the board is genuinely intended to manage the Palestinian issue or deliver peace, let alone advance a two-state solution,” Lina Alexandra, head of the international relations department at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population and a longstanding supporter of the Palestinian struggle, has consistently advocated for a two-state solution and has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
“It remains unclear how the board could compel Israel to halt its violence. Accepting this invitation without deeper scrutiny is problematic and risks being counterproductive to supporting the Palestinian struggle,” Lina said.
Lack of public consultation
The CSIS researcher noted the lack of public consultation prior to the announcement of the decision on the peace board.
“The rushed, hasty nature of this move has inevitably raised questions whether this is all just an effort to appease Trump as Indonesia negotiates its tariff deal,” Lina said.
Indonesia is currently negotiating with Washington to finalize a 19-percent tariff trade deal. The agreement nearly fell through last year and remains uncertain, despite Jakarta’s aim to conclude talks before the end of the month.
Ahmad Fahrur Rozi, an executive of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, said that he was “unaware” of any talks with the government about joining the board.
“There must be assurances that the initiative truly supports a just and sustainable peace for Palestine,” Ahmad said, “rather than serving merely as a political maneuver by the [US] or overlapping with existing UN policies”.
Potential overlaps
While the board is technically supported by a UN mechanism, Aberystwyth University international relations expert Ahmad Rizky M. Umar said the board’s charter overlapped in many ways with the UNSC’s mandate.
He highlighted the board’s charter that allows it to “manage active conflicts and post-ceasefire stabilization”, directly overlapping with the Security Council’s core mandate to address threats to international peace and security, including ceasefires and enforcement measures.
The charter also gives the board coordinating authority over humanitarian access reconstruction, which are already overseen by several UN bodies such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“The Board of Peace is not only about peace in Gaza,” Umar said. “It is also part of Trump’s effort to create a rival to the UN, which he views as not aligned with US interests. This has not been accepted by other countries, including China and parts of Europe.”
Joining the board, he added, would risk Indonesia being drawn into Trump’s political game and “the orbit of his far-right agenda”.
Trump, who will chair the board, has invited dozens of other world leaders to join it and sees the group addressing other global challenges beyond the Gaza truce. But he claimed not to have any intentions to replace the UN.
His invitation to world leaders additionally carried a US$1 billion price tag for a permanent seat on the board, as it aimed to resolve conflicts worldwide outside existing UN mechanisms.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela underlined that Indonesia’s participation was driven by its initiative to help end the violence in Gaza and ensure humanitarian access, and remained in line with UN mechanisms.
“Indonesia joined because it supports UNSC Resolution 2803,” Vahd said.
When asked whether Jakarta would pay for a permanent seat at the board, he said: “The resolution placed the board as a transitional administration, which means it is only temporary in nature.”