by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Indonesia has paused discussions on U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative for Gaza as diplomatic attention shifts to the rapidly escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, dashing hopes among some Christians that the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation might move closer to normalizing relations with Israel.
Foreign Minister Sugiono confirmed Tuesday that talks related to the initiative had been put on hold as governments focus on the growing Middle East crisis.
“Discussions are paused because all attention has shifted to the situation in Iran,” Sugiono told reporters after a dinner attended by President Prabowo Subianto and several former leaders of the world’s fourth-most populous nation.
He added that Indonesia continues consulting with international allies while coordinating with Gulf states that have also been targeted amid the widening regional conflict.
Indonesia joined the inaugural meeting of President Donald J. Trump’s proposed Board of Peace framework in Washington last month and had been preparing to deploy up to 8,000 troops for a potential peacekeeping mission in Gaza after the war between Hamas and Israel.
INDONESIA ROLE IN BOARD OF PEACE
Jakarta’s participation surprised some observers given the country’s long-standing absence of diplomatic relations with Israel and its strong support for a Palestinian state.
Officials described Indonesia’s role as humanitarian and peacekeeping, stressing it does not signal any change in the nation’s official stance toward Israel.
Yet the initiative raised cautious hopes among some Indonesian Christians that greater international engagement could eventually ease travel restrictions or open the door to future diplomatic contacts.
“Currently, it is very difficult, though not impossible, for us to visit Israel due to visa issues,” a Christian house-church leader told Worthy News.
Indonesia’s lack of formal ties with Israel has long been shaped by strong pro-Palestinian policies and what some Christians describe as persistent anti-Israel sentiment in political and religious circles.
DOMESTIC OPPOSITION GROWS
The pause in talks comes as domestic criticism increases over Indonesia’s involvement in Trump’s security framework for Gaza.
The influential Islamic clerical body Majelis Ulama Indonesia urged the government this week to reconsider participation in the Board of Peace following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered broader regional escalation.
Opposition lawmaker Tubagus Hasanuddin also warned that Indonesia risks becoming entangled in Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions.
“The country risks being drawn into Middle Eastern geopolitical turmoil that could be detrimental,” he said in a statement.
President Prabowo Subianto — a former army general who earlier suggested Indonesia could help mediate in the Iran conflict — discussed the issue Tuesday with former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko Widodo, along with senior political leaders and diplomats, Worthy News learned.
GOVERNMENT REVIEW OF PARTICIPATION
Participants said the meeting focused on global developments and possible economic consequences of the Middle East crisis, particularly risks to global oil and gas supplies.
Former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda said Prabowo indicated the government would evaluate Indonesia’s participation in the Board of Peace as geopolitical conditions evolve.
“He will evaluate and make the appropriate decision at the right time,” Wirajuda said.
Analysts say the widening confrontation involving Iran could significantly complicate the prospects of the initiative moving forward.
For now, Indonesia’s role in Trump’s Board of Peace — and any potential shift toward relations with Israel — appears increasingly uncertain as the broader regional conflict deepens.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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