Indonesia’s president to attend ‘Board of Peace’ meeting in US
Indonesia confirmed that President Prabowo Subianto will attend the inaugural leaders’ meeting of US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” next week.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela said on Wednesday that Prabowo would use the forum to advocate for the protection of Palestinians and push for a sustainable peace based on a two-state solution, which envisions the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Prabowo is also expected to sign a tariff agreement with the United States during the trip, the government said.
The announcement comes after Indonesia said earlier this week that it was preparing to deploy up to 8,000 troops to Gaza.
Details of the potential deployment, including the timeline and location, have yet to be finalised, but at least one brigade of up to 8,000 personnel is being organised.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
“We are just preparing ourselves in case an agreement is reached and we have to send peacekeeping forces,” Prabowo told journalists.
The president, who is among those invited to the first meeting set to be held on 19 February, has also said he will seek to negotiate the board’s reported $1bn membership fee.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said that its troops participation in Gaza would not be aimed at imposing peace, but would instead focus on humanitarian objectives.
In November, Indonesia's defence minister announced that its military had trained 20,000 troops for healthcare and construction efforts in Gaza.
Jakarta has also provided humanitarian aid, including the delivery of 10,000 tonnes of rice in August last year, and has launched a long-term cultivation initiative in Sumatra and Kalimantan to support Palestinian food security.
Israel joins 'Board of Peace'
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza - travelled to Washington on Tuesday, where he signed on as a member of the "Board of Peace".
Netanyahu had originally been scheduled to visit the US capital on 19 February for the board’s inaugural meeting, which was established following the Gaza ceasefire deal in October.
Israel’s participation in the Board of Peace is expected to draw further criticism, as the body was formed to address the aftermath of two years of genocide in Gaza, in which Israeli forces killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave’s homes and civilian infrastructure.
The board does not include Palestinian representation and has so far failed to halt near-daily Israeli ceasefire violations. Israeli forces have killed nearly 600 Palestinians since the ceasefire began in October.
Netanyahu brought forward his trip to Washington amid ongoing US talks with Iran, which Trump has described as “very good”.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, Trump said he had told Netanyahu that American negotiations with Iran were continuing, as the Pentagon prepares to deploy a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.
“It was a very good meeting. The tremendous relationship between our two countries continues,” Trump said on social media.
“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” he said, adding that, “If it can, I will let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”
In a brief readout after the meeting, Netanyahu said the two sides “addressed negotiations with Iran, Gaza, and regional developments,” adding that he had stressed Israel’s security needs.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
