As reported in Tempo’s “Today’s Top 3 News,” former Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla has stated that Indonesia can withdraw from the United States-led Board of Peace (BoP) without facing legal or diplomatic consequences. According to Tempo, Kalla’s remarks come amid growing domestic pressure on President Prabowo Subianto’s government to reassess participation in the BoP, an initiative linked to Gaza reconstruction and broader Middle East peace efforts. The BoP was launched under U.S. President Donald Trump and has drawn scrutiny from Indonesian religious and civil society groups concerned about its impact on the Palestinian cause.
Kalla, a senior political figure and former chair of the Indonesian Red Cross, has often engaged in peace diplomacy and is regarded as an experienced mediator in domestic and international conflicts, which makes his legal and political assessment of Indonesia’s BoP options influential in Jakarta’s policy debate. According to international and regional media, Indonesia joined discussions on the Board of Peace with the stated aim of contributing to a lasting peace in Gaza and supporting Palestinians. At the same time, the continuing American-Israeli conflict with Iran and the wider war in the Middle East have intensified questions in Indonesia about whether membership aligns with national interests and longstanding support for Palestinian statehood.
What context and reactions have emerged?
As reported by Reuters and other outlets, President Prabowo Subianto has told Indonesian Islamic organizations that Indonesia will withdraw from the Board of Peace if the forum does not benefit Palestinians or support Indonesia’s national interests. According to these reports, Prabowo conveyed this message in meetings with leaders of local Muslim groups who have criticized the government’s involvement in the BoP and its readiness to send troops as part of a stabilization or reconstruction force for Gaza. Representatives quoted by the media said the president emphasized his original intention was to help secure lasting peace in Gaza, while promising a reassessment if those objectives were not met.
According to Channel NewsAsia and other regional outlets, major religious organizations and clerical bodies, including the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and Nahdlatul Ulama-linked figures, have urged the government to leave the Board of Peace. Critics argue that remaining in the BoP, while war in Gaza and a broader conflict involving Iran continues, risks undermining Indonesia’s credibility as a supporter of Palestinian self-determination. Channel NewsAsia reports that some activists warn Indonesia could be seen as complicit in what they describe as aggression if it continues to participate without clear benefits for Palestinians. In this context, Kalla’s assertion that Indonesia can exit the BoP without consequences reinforces arguments from those calling for a prompt withdrawal.
Regional coverage also notes that Indonesia’s participation has been politically sensitive domestically because of the country’s status as the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation and its historical stance of not recognizing Israel. Religious leaders and civil society groups see the BoP decision as a test of whether Jakarta will maintain a foreign policy widely viewed as strongly pro-Palestinian. Tempo’s focus on Kalla’s comments in its top news list highlights the degree to which the BoP debate has become a central political and diplomatic issue inside Indonesia.
Supporting details and legal or diplomatic considerations
According to Reuters and Al-Monitor summaries, a statement from Prabowo’s office quoting Islamic Brotherhood Front figure Hanif Alatas said the president would withdraw from the Board of Peace if it no longer benefits Palestine or aligns with Indonesia’s national interests. Reports say the statement conveyed that Prabowo sees Indonesia’s engagement as conditional and subject to change if developments on the ground or the board’s agenda diverge from those priorities.
Anadolu Agency reports that Indonesia’s foreign minister, Sugiono, has already announced a suspension of all discussions related to the Board of Peace because of escalating conflict in the Middle East and the American-Israeli war with Iran. According to Anadolu’s account, this suspension effectively pauses Indonesia’s active role in the initiative while the government evaluates the risks and implications of continued participation in a volatile regional environment. This suspension is consistent with comments cited by other outlets that all BoP-related talks have been put on hold due to the war.
Channel NewsAsia cites Indonesian international law expert Suzie Sudarman as saying that the current conflict conditions constitute force majeure, meaning unforeseen and uncontrollable events that make performance of an obligation impossible. According to her assessment, force majeure would allow Indonesia to exit the Board of Peace with relatively straightforward procedures and limited legal exposure. Another expert quoted by Channel NewsAsia, political analyst Diah Pitaloka, argues that the more pressing issue is the reputational cost of not leaving the BoP, suggesting Indonesia could lose credibility domestically and internationally if it remains associated with the initiative while the conflict continues.
Taken together, these expert views support Jusuf Kalla’s assertion, highlighted by Tempo, that Indonesia can leave the Board of Peace without significant legal or diplomatic consequences. The combination of a suspended agenda, ongoing conflict, and legal arguments based on force majeure has shaped a narrative that withdrawal would be both technically feasible and politically defensible for Jakarta.
What implications and future developments are expected?
According to multiple international reports, the Indonesian government has not yet formally announced a withdrawal from the Board of Peace, but Prabowo’s conditional stance and the suspension of BoP discussions suggest that Jakarta is keeping its options open while the situation in Gaza and the wider region evolves. Future decisions will likely depend on how the Board of Peace’s mandate and activities develop, whether it can demonstrate tangible benefits for Palestinians, and how the American-Israeli conflict with Iran unfolds.
If Indonesia decides to exit, expert commentary cited by Channel NewsAsia indicates that withdrawal could be justified under force majeure principles, with limited risk of legal retaliation or treaty-based penalties. Politically, such a move could be framed as aligning foreign policy with domestic demands from religious organizations and public opinion that emphasize solidarity with Gaza and opposition to perceived aggression. Diplomatically, analysts suggest Indonesia would aim to maintain constructive ties with the United States while asserting an independent stance centered on its historical support for Palestinian statehood.
For now, Indonesia’s suspension of Board of Peace discussions and Kalla’s claim that the country can leave without consequences indicate that a clear exit path exists if the government chooses to take it. The coming months may show whether Jakarta leverages that option or seeks to reshape the BoP’s agenda in a way it views as more consistent with supporting Palestinians and reducing tensions in the Middle East.
In summary, Tempo’s “Today’s Top 3 News” highlights Jusuf Kalla’s position that Indonesia can exit Donald Trump’s Board of Peace without facing significant legal or diplomatic fallout, a view echoed by legal experts and shaped by the suspension of BoP talks amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. Indonesian leaders are weighing both domestic political pressure and international obligations as they decide whether to remain in or withdraw from the initiative, with the outcome likely to influence Jakarta’s broader role in efforts to address the Gaza crisis and support the Palestinian cause.
