From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 22, 2026
UN’s Albanese says Indonesia should rethink membership in Board of Peace
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JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia should reconsider its involvement in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan because it is being shaped by Israel and the US and lacks a Palestinian voice, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories tells Reuters.
The Board of Peace was unveiled by Trump in January to address global conflicts typically handled by the United Nations. The world’s largest Muslim-majority nation has also pledged troops to be deployed to Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force.
Francesca Albanese, who has long been accused of antisemitism and extremist rhetoric against Israel, says in an interview in Jakarta that Indonesia has historically supported the Palestinian cause, but joining the board was dangerous.
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry says that Board of Peace discussions remained on hold, reiterating its earlier position.
“I understand (Indonesia’s) good intentions. I still think that it’s very dangerous, because it risks normalizing a very abnormal mechanism,” she says.
Albanese says that, legally, Israel could not have a role in determining the future of Palestinians.
Rights experts have criticized the board for not including a Palestinian representative even though it is meant to supervize the temporary governance of a Palestinian territory.
The Board of Peace does not immediately respond to a request for comment outside US business hours.
Indonesia, which backs a two-state solution and has repeatedly condemned Israeli violence, has drawn criticism from domestic Muslim groups for agreeing to join the board, which also counts Israel as a member.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.