Gatekeeping peace: Why the House must vet Indonesia’s pivot to BoP entry

After weeks of speculation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday Israeli participation on the Board of Peace (BoP). With Israel joining, it is noteworthy that President Prabowo Subianto ’s decision to bring Indonesia to the BoP marks a pragmatic shift toward reconciling the situation in Palestine.

Indonesia’s decision to join the BoP constitutes a move where agility and involvement in relevant forums become the overarching values guiding the country’s foreign policy. This represents a stark departure from the long-standing, principled practice of avoiding direct engagement with Israel.

In defense of his decision, President Prabowo described Indonesia’s entry as “a historic opportunity” and “truly a chance to achieve peace in Gaza”. In the same vein, Foreign Minister Sugiono said joining the BoP was consistent with Indonesia’s position to help resolve the conflict, achieve peace and carry out post-conflict rehabilitation in Palestine.