It appears Indonesian diplomacy is currently learning a harsh lesson: joining a global alliance without reading the fine print is a recipe for a geopolitical headache. Dian Wirengjurit, former Indonesian Ambassador to Iran, recently dismantled the legitimacy of the Board of Peace (BoP)—a body supposedly designed for Gaza’s peace, which curiously fails to mention “Palestine” or “Gaza” in its official charter.
Wirengjurit highlighted a staggering irony: Jakarta is debating whether to “stay or exit” a body that, legally and principledly, Indonesia could never truly enter in the first place. The BoP is essentially a polished version of Tony Blair’s “20-point proposal” for the International Stabilization Force. Yet, in the transition from rhetoric to document, the specific plight of the Palestinians has evaporated into a cloud of gray bureaucratic jargon. Indonesia, in its fervor for solidarity, seems to be trying to crash a party where its name isn’t even on the guest list.
Furthermore, this scenario exacerbates Indonesia’s “Mediator Paradox.” Jakarta aspires to be the bridge-builder, yet Israel remains immovable, questioning how a nation that refuses to recognize its existence can possibly act as a neutral arbiter. Indonesia finds itself in a diplomatic limbo: rejected by Israel as a mediator, while simultaneously knocking on the door of an organization created by Israel’s allies—one that lacks the courage to even name the nation Indonesia is trying to defend. If diplomacy is a game of chess, Jakarta may have just lost its Queen by playing on the wrong board entirely.
