Prabowo said that he could not predict how long the war would last, saying that all sides must be willing to engage for any mediation to be helpful in ending the conflict.
“My advice is always to look for the peaceful option,” he told Bloomberg, recounting his past experience as a soldier. The president is a former general of the Indonesian army.
“I was a soldier. I was in combat. And I’m the first one to realise that if we can talk, better talk. If we can resolve things on the table, better on the table.”
Asked about his offer to mediate the conflict if need be, Prabowo said that there “must be willingness on all sides”.
“We offer ourselves as one of the mediators, I’m sure there are others more, perhaps more relevant, with more leverage than us,” he said.
Bloomberg reported that Prabowo’s plan to send peacekeeping troops to Gaza as part of the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump is now on hold.
Asked about criticism within Indonesia for joining the board, the Indonesian leader said: “Every policy will have pros and cons.”
“If we are inside the Board of Peace, we can still influence and work toward a lasting solution, which in our view is an independent Palestine, a two-state solution,” he added.
The board was initially established to ensure that post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza proceeds effectively. It has drawn criticism from experts and Muslim groups at home, who say it compromises Indonesia’s long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.
Earlier this month, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono said that all discussions with the Board of Peace were on hold amid the situation in Iran.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-iran-war-prahowo-subianto-rational-trump-us-israel-5998151
