JAKARTA, LITERASIHUKUM.COM — President Prabowo Subianto indicated that the war between the United States and Israel against Iran is an important factor in evaluating Indonesia's position on the Board of Peace (BoP)That stance is in line with the government's decision to previously suspend all discussions related to BoP after the escalation of the war in the Middle East was deemed to have changed the regional security and political landscape.

The government has emphasized that Indonesia's participation in BoP from the beginning was intended to help the Palestinian people and encourage a peaceful solution, not to legitimize a conflict that is only widening. Therefore, when the Iran war broke out, Indonesia's position was immediately reviewed. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yvonne Mewengkang even stated that all discussions with BoP are currently suspended or “on hold”.

The Iran War is Considered to Weaken BoP's Position and Mandate

Signals of evaluation had actually emerged since early March. In a national discussion held by President Prabowo at the Palace, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Noer Hassan Wirajuda stated that the President also discussed whether the ongoing war in Iran would weaken the position and mandate of the BoP. This statement shows that the government no longer sees the BoP solely as a Palestinian diplomacy forum, but also considers the credibility and effectiveness of the forum after the outbreak of war involving central parties in it.

From a foreign policy perspective, this change in context is indeed difficult to ignore. The BoP was formed to support the stabilization process in Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war. However, after the conflict spread to Iran, the legitimacy of the forum was questioned, including domestically. Reuters noted that Indonesia has suspended talks on the BoP because the government's attention is now focused on the wider regional crisis, the safety of Indonesian citizens in the Middle East, and economic impacts such as rising oil prices and flight disruptions.