by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto said his country would not pay the $1 billion fee for permanent membership in U.S. counterpart Donald J. Trump’s “Board of Peace” after coming under pressure for signing up.
Prabowo, a former general, had faced mounting criticism from Indonesian Muslim groups for joining the board and pledging to send 8,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza.
His comments came just weeks after he attended the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace” in Washington last month.
It was likely to disappoint pro-Israel Christians in Indonesia who have told Worthy News they hope their Muslim-majority nation would launch full diplomatic relations with Israel.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has long supported Palestinian statehood and has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel.
DOMESTIC PRESSURE AND POLICY BALANCE
Yet in a statement published on his presidential YouTube video channel, the president stressed that Jakarta had only committed peacekeeping troops for the initiative.
The “Board of Peace” came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of devastating war in Gaza.
Countries that want to be permanent members must pay $1 billion—sparking criticism that the board could become a “pay-to-play” version of the United Nations Security Council.
Analysts say such a funding model could deepen divisions among participating nations and raise questions about the legitimacy of the body’s decisions.
Prabowo later said he would withdraw from the board if it did not bring “benefits” to Palestinians or align with Indonesia’s national interests.
NO FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
“We never said that we wanted to contribute $1 billion,” Prabowo stressed in statements broadcast on his YouTube channel and monitored by Worthy News on Monday.
He said he did not make any financial commitments “at all”.
The president added that Indonesia’s involvement would remain conditional and guided by both humanitarian concerns and domestic priorities.
Prabowo signed a tariff deal with the United States last month, but insisted Sunday that Indonesia could withdraw from any agreement if its conditions or execution threaten the national interest.
His remarks underscored a broader effort to balance cooperation with Washington while maintaining Indonesia’s independent foreign policy stance.
PEACEKEEPING TALKS ON HOLD
Talks with Washington about any peacekeeping mission to Gaza have been put “on hold”, according to state news agency Antara, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela.
Earlier proposals suggested that Indonesia could contribute thousands of troops to a stabilization force in Gaza following the ceasefire.
However, officials signaled that no deployment would proceed without clearer guarantees regarding security, mandate, and international backing.
The pause in discussions reflects both logistical concerns and political sensitivities at home.
Indonesia’s role in the initiative—and its broader Middle East policy—remains under scrutiny as the war involving Iran rapidly escalates.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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