Indonesia says will withdraw from Board of Peace

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has reassured local Islamic groups ​that he will withdraw from U.S. President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' if the platform does ​not benefit Palestinians, a government statement said on Friday. The ​participation of Indonesia, ⁠the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, on the board, and its decision to contribute ​troops for a ‌Gaza stabilisation force, has drawn criticism from experts and Muslim groups at home, who say it compromises ​its long-standing support for the Palestinian cause. Prabowo gathered the groups' leaders for a meeting on Thursday evening where he reiterated his ‌reasoning ‌behind joining the board, ​according to a statement put out by the government communication office. Prabowo will withdraw from the board if it does not benefit Palestinian and Indonesian interests, the ​statement quoted Hanif Alatas of the Islamic Brotherhood Front as saying. "The president said that if he sees that there is no ​longer any benefit

for Palestine...and that it is not in line with Indonesia's national interests, he will withdraw," Hanif said in the statement. The Indonesian Ulema Council, a leading clerical body, had previously called for ‌Indonesia to exit the board due to the U.S. role in the ongoing Iran war. Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Muslim ⁠group, said Indonesia's government ​could use the board to encourage de-escalation in the Middle East. "Indonesia could declare that the (board's) agenda is on hold until there are talks ⁠on de-escalation and ⁠peace from the American-Israeli war ⁠against Iran," its chief Yahya Cholil Staquf said in a statement issued by Prabowo's office late on Thursday. All Board of Peace discussions have ⁠been halted due to the war, Indonesia Foreign Minister Sugiono has previously ​said. (Reporting by Stanley Widianto, Stefanno Sulaiman; Edit