International Lawfare and Transactional Peacemaking: Indonesia’s ‘Board of Peace’ and the Question of Palestinian Sovereignty

Chairul Fahmi; Muhammad Siddiq Armia; Mizaj Iskandar; Laila Muhammad Rasyid; Faisal Fauzan

doi:10.21107/tlr.v8i2.33636

International Lawfare and Transactional Peacemaking: Indonesia’s ‘Board of Peace’ and the Question of Palestinian Sovereignty

Chairul Fahmi, Muhammad Siddiq Armia, Mizaj Iskandar, Laila Muhammad Rasyid, Faisal Fauzan

Abstract

The Board for Peace (BoP), established by President Trump, is integral to the execution of the America-First and transactional strategy. This board indicates a transition in international collaboration from multilateralism under the UN mandate to a multi-corporate framework for handling the post-conflict transition in Gaza. This article analyses the legitimacy of the BoP under international law and the ramifications of Indonesia's permanent membership and its allocation of one billion US dollars to the BoP, while also evaluating its implications for Palestinian sovereignty and the international legal system. This research utilizes an interdisciplinary approach that combines international law, political economy, and international relations. The research indicates that the creation of the BoP was prompted by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, although it has diverged from the resolution's aims. Moreover, the BoP has invalidated the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) about the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. Moreover, the BoP, which possesses a comprehensive strategy for Gaza's reconstruction post-Israel's devastation, represents an infringement on the rights of the Palestinian populace in Gaza, undermines Palestinian sovereignty, overlooks the Palestinian Authority, and imposes a fiscal obligation on nations, especially permanent members like Indonesia. This paper asserts that the BoP framework is designed exclusively to sustain informal imperialism that advantages Israel, hinders the two-state solution, and constrains Indonesia’s foreign policy—ideally independent and proactive—under the influence of U.S. interests during the Trump administration.

Keywords

Board of Peace; Indonesia; International Lawfare; Palestine sovereignty; Self-Determination

Full Text:

PDF

References

Abbasi, Ali. “The Apprentice (2024) - Movie | Moviefone.” primevideo, 2024.

Agatha Eka Febriani Hangin, Amelia Pawestri, Aulia Azzahwa Salsabilla, Moch. Faruq, and Nestoresi Jalung. “Politik Luar Negeri Bebas Aktif Dan Prinsip Universal Hak Asasi Manusia Dalam Kaitannya Terhadap Dukungan Negara Indonesia Kepada Kemerdekaan Negara Palestina.” Jembatan Hukum : Kajian Ilmu Hukum, Sosial Dan Administrasi Negara 2, no. 4 (2025). https://doi.org/10.62383/jembatan.v2i4.2475.

Agha, Zena, and Jake Hodder. “Mapping Disjuncture: Internationalism and Palestine.” Area, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.70077.

Alia, Nazwa, Kerenhapukh Valentina Zebua, Sherly Desinta Simbolon, Natasya Ulkhaira Adhian M, Prity Oktora Haliawan, Arvenia Noer, and Neneng Yani Yuningsih. “Studi Komparatif: Implementasi Kebijakan Luar Negeri Indonesia Dan Kuwait Terkait Pemberian Humanitarian Aid Terhadap Polemik Palestina – Israel.” Jurnal Kajian Pemerintah: Journal of Government, Social and Politics 10, no. 2 (2024). https://doi.org/10.25299/jkp.2024.vol10(1).17800.

Ansori, Ansori, Godswill Owoche Antai, Paul Atagamen Aidonojie, Muwaffiq Jufri, and Hassan Ismaila Adebowale. “Understanding The Politics of International Law: A Case Study of The Israel-Palestine Conflict.” Lampung Journal of International Law 8, no. 1 (May 20, 2026): 13–34. https://doi.org/10.25041/lajil.v8i1.5118.

Armia, Muhammad Siddiq. Penentuan Metode & Pendekatan Penelitian Hukum. Edited by Chairul Fahmi. Banda Aceh: Lembaga Kajian Konstitusi Indonesia, 2022.

Augustauskaitė-Keršienė, Aistė. “Reservations to UN Human Rights Treaties: Sovereign States Seeking to Avoid Their Obligations?” International Comparative Jurisprudence 6, no. 2 (2020). https://doi.org/10.13165/j.icj.2020.12.002.

Badhan, Deepika, and Rupam Jagota. “Geopolitical Interests and Contemporary Conflicts in the Middle East.” International Journal of Innovations in Science Engineering And Management, 2025. https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2025v4i2244-252.

Bernstorff, Jochen von, and Eva Maria Bredler. “‘A Violation of the Right of Peoples to Self-Determination.’” Verfassungsblog, October 2025. https://doi.org/10.59704/627525bf9be51909.

Bshara, Khaldun. “Settler Colonialism Rebranded: Trump’s Gaza Plan and the Capitalist Logic of War.” Journal of Palestine Studies 54, no. 1 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1080/0377919X.2025.2489264.

Casey, John. “Opinion: This Is The Dark Truth About Trump’s Absurd ‘Board of Peace’: Like Every Other Money-Making Scheme Trump Concocts, the Peace Board Will Shatter, but Trump Will Finally Get a Piece of Peace Hardware.” The Daily Beast The Newsweek, January 2026.

Chakrabarti, Debashis. “Trump’s ‘Board Of Peace’ is a Corporate Coup On Global Order – OpEd – Eurasia Review.” Eurasiareview.com, January 2026.

Chaterine, Rahel Narda. “Alasan Indonesia Gabung Board of Peace: Menciptakan Perdamaian Di Palestina,” February 2026.

Chenoy, Anuradha. “The Great Betrayal Security Council Resolution on Gaza.” Economic and Political Weekly 60, no. 48 (2025).

Darnela, Lindra, Arif Sugitanata, Erma Rusdiana, and Rabiatul Adawiah. “War Crimes and Legal Accountability in the 2023 Israel-Gaza Conflict.” Lentera Hukum 11, no. 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.19184/ejlh.v11i3.47011.

Erakat, Noura, Darryl Li, and John Reynolds. “Race, Palestine, and International Law.” AJIL Unbound 117 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1017/aju.2023.9.

Fahmi, Chairul. “The Application of International Cultural Rights in Protecting Indigenous Peoples’ Land Property in Indonesia.” Https://Doi.Org/10.1177/11771801241235261 20, no. 1 (March 2024): 157–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801241235261.

Faizah, Sabila Nur. “The Foreign Policy of Indonesia on Israel-Palestine Conflict Issue.” Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, no. November (2022).

Farsakh, Leila. Rethinking Statehood in Palestine: Self-Determination and Decolonization Beyond Partition. Rethinking Statehood in Palestine: Self-Determination and Decolonization Beyond Partition, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1525/luminos.113.

Fitriani. “Joining BRICS, Indonesia Sticks with Multi-Alignment Strategy.” Aspistrategist.Org.Au, 2025.

Genugten, Willem Van. “Draft Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations (2011) (Excerpts).” The World Bank Group, the IMF and Human Rights, December 2015, 69–78. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781780685649.010.

Hawari, Yara. “Neocolonialism in Gaza | New Internationalist,” January 2026.

Holland, Steve. “Trump Launches Board of Peace That Some Fear Rivals UN.” Reuters, 2026.

Jukkarwala, Ibrahim. “Trump’s Board of Peace: The $1 Billion Geopolitical Club Explained.” theglobalangle.com, January 2026.

Kagramanov, Azer K. “Subjects of the Right to Self-Determination in Contemporary International Law.” Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta. Pravo 14, no. 1 (2023). https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu14.2023.111.

Khilji, Atta ur Rehman. “Peace without Justice: Liberal Imperialism and the Gaza Peace Framework (2025).” Pakistan Social Sciences Review 9, no. IV (December 31, 2025). https://doi.org/10.35484/pssr.2025(9-IV)16.

Kurmala, Aziz. “Indonesia’s Free Active Policy Does Not Mean Neutrality: Ministry.” ANTARA, January 2025.

Lubis, Anggi M. “Indonesia Gabung ‘Board of Peace’: Strategi Tepat Atau Hilang Arah?” theconversation, January 2026.

Lukman, Muhammad Zuhal. “Indonesia’s Foreign Policy Post-Reform in the United Nations Security Council.” Ilomata International Journal of Social Science 4, no. 2 (2023). https://doi.org/10.52728/ijss.v4i2.666.

Mačák, Kubo, and Ellen Policinski. “The Object and Purpose of the Fourth Geneva Convention.” In Civilian Protection in Armed Conflict: Select Issues, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197793176.003.0003.

Maguire, Amy, and Katie Thompson. “Palestine, Self-Determination and International Justice: Looking Back to the ICJ and Looking Forward to the ICC.” Griffith Law Review 26, no. 4 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/10383441.2017.1548000.

Malekafzali, Seamus. “Plans Call for ‘New Rafah’ Built in Israel’s Image — Without Palestinians,” January 2026.

Mancini, Ryan. “Which Nations Have Rejected Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Invite?” The Hill, January 2026.

Mills, Alex. “The Privatisation of Private (and) International Law.” Current Legal Problems 76, no. 1 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1093/clp/cuad003.

Nachman, Jess R. “Decolonial Queering Sport and Movement in Palestine.” Women’s Studies International Forum 109 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2025.103054.

Nasser AL-Nabit. “Undermining Humanitarian Space in Conflict Epicenters: The Gaza Strip from the 2006 Blockade to Post-October 2023 War.” Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management 10, no. 17s (2025). https://doi.org/10.52783/jisem.v10i17s.2782.

Nations, United. Security Counccil Resolution No. S/RES/2803 on the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, Pub. L. No. S/RES/2803, https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/document/s-res-2803.php (2026).

———. “United Nations Charter (Full Text) | United Nations.” United Nations, 1945.

Ningrum, Sinta, Dinar Afina Dwiputri, Ridha Agus, Farah Fazarani, and Herlina Roseline. “Policy Harmony or Dissonance? Investigating Alignment in Indonesia’s Multi-Level Governance System.” Journal of Ecohumanism 3, no. 8 (2024). https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.5741.

Olafsen, Anja H. “Self-Determination Theory.” In Elgar Encyclopedia of Organizational Psychology, 2024. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803921761.00125.

Passavant, Paul A. “The Contradictory State of Giorgio Agamben.” Political Theory 35, no. 2 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1177/0090591706297691.

Pérez-Fernández, Francisco, and María Peñaranda-Ortega. “Frantz Fanon, a Psychiatrist Trapped between Anthropology, Therapy and Revolution: From Sociotherapy to Anticolonialism.” Anales de Psicologia 41, no. 2 (2025). https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.627561.

Perugini, Nicola. “Between Anti-Colonial Resistance and Colonial Genocide: Gaza at the Limits of International Law.” Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, November 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/03086534.2025.2578214.

Pratama, Risky Eka, and Rina Arum Pratyanti. “Indonesia’s Role In Promoting Peace In The Israelpalestine Conflict Through Multi-Track Diplomacy.” Rechtsvacuum: Journal Of Legal Studies 1, no. 1 (2024).

Pratiwi, Fadhila Inas, M. Aryo Rasil Syarafi, and Demas Nauvarian. “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict beyond Resolution: A Critical Assessment.” Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Ilmu Politik 26, no. 2 (2022). https://doi.org/10.22146/jsp.66935.

Ramesh, T., K.S. Mohan, M. Kumar, Ramavathu Malleswari, and Surya Viswanadha. “International Frameworks on Traditional Knowledge: Role of WIPO, TRIPS, and CBD.” International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research 7, no. 5 (2025). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.58380.

Rasgon, Adam. “Board of Peace Set to Hand Trump Sweeping Powers Over Gaza - The New York Times.” nytimes, January 2026.

Rayda, Nivell. “Indonesia’s Board of Peace Dilemma: Prabowo Caught between Domestic Backlash and US Ties - CNA.” cahnnelnewsasia.com, January 2026.

Rehman, Hidayat Ur, Syed Raza, and Shah Gilani. “A Critical Assessment of Jus Cogen Nature of International Human Rights Law.” The Dialogue IX, no. 4 (2014).

Rosandry, Indra, Aloysius Selwas Taborat, and Kadek Denny Baskara Adiputra. “The Historic Advisory Opinion On Palestine: An Overview Of Indonesia’s Submissions And The Way Forward.” Indonesian Journal of International Law 22, no. 4 (2025). https://doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol22.4.1927.

Sasmita, Ronny P. “Indonesia’s Gaza Gamble | Gaza | Al Jazeera.” 2026, February 2026.

Shalbak, Ihab. “Human Rights in Palestine: From Self-Determination to Governance.” Australian Journal of Human Rights 29, no. 3 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2023.2291210.

Shatat, Saleh Raed, and Ong Argo Victoria. “Illegal Land Grab: Israel’s Seizure Of Land In Palestine.” Jurnal Akta 8, no. 2 (2021). https://doi.org/10.30659/akta.v8i2.15685.

Siagian, Abdhy Walid, Tommy Putra Zumita, and Muhammad Farhan. “Quo Vadis Penerapan Perjanjian Internasional Di Indonesia: Tinjauan Doktrin Transformasi Dan Inkorporasi.” Unes Journal of Swara Justisia 8, no. 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.31933/7f3g4a33.

Sidlo, Katarzyna. “The Board of Peace, Gaza, and the Cost of Being inside the Room | European Union Institute for Security Studies.” https://www.iss.europa.eu/, January 2026.

Soraya, Ninda, Ali Muhammad, and Suyatno Ladiqi. “ICC Jurisdiction: Against Israeli War and Humanitarian Crimes Targeting Palestinian Civilians 2023.” Jurnal Media Hukum 31, no. 1 (2024). https://doi.org/10.18196/jmh.v31i1.20938.

———. “ICC Jurisdiction: Against Israeli War and Humanitarian Crimes Targeting Palestinian Civilians 2023.” Jurnal Media Hukum 31, no. 1 (April 15, 2024): 59–77. https://doi.org/10.18196/jmh.v31i1.20938.

Spance, Alex. “Trump Threatens 200 Percent Tariffs on French Wine after Macron Snubs Peace Board – POLITICO.” Politico, January 2026.

Stokols, Eli; Cheslow Daniella. “Trump Gets His Board of Peace, Even as Bigger Countries Steer Clear - POLITICO.” Politico.com, February 2026.

Sultan, Sophia, and Christopher Michael Garrity. “International Law and The Responsibility to Protect.” Journal of Student Research 11, no. 3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i3.2605.

Thiessen, Chuck, and Marwan Darweish. “Conflict Resolution and Asymmetric Conflict: The Contradictions of Planned Contact Interventions in Israel and Palestine.” International Journal of Intercultural Relations 66 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2018.06.006.

Tzouvala, Ntina. “International Law as a Discipline in Crisis.” Australian Journal of International Affairs, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2024.2416253.

UN. General Assembly (10th emergency special sess., resumed : 2024). “Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences Arising from Israel’s Policies and Practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, and from the Illegality of Israel’s Continued Presence in the O….” United Nations. New York: UN, September 2024.

Urs, Priya. “The Articulation of Obligations Erga Omnes and Erga Omnes Partes by the International Court of Justice: Coherence or Confusion?” International and Comparative Law Quarterly 74, no. 2 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020589325100729.

Watkins, Dawn, and Mandy Burton. “Research Methods in Law [Electronic Resource].” Research Methods in Law, 2017.

Wolff, Stefan. “Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Looks like a Privatised UN with One Shareholder: The US President.” Edited by Jonathan Este, January 2026. https://doi.org/10.64628/AB.xfrwpdxwc.

Young, Robert J.C. “The Longest War.” From the European South 15 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1177/030642209602500534.

Ziadah, Rafeef. “Donald Trump’s Vision for Gaza’s Future: What a Leaked Plan Tells Us about US Regional Strategy.” Edited by Jonathan Este, September 2025. https://doi.org/10.64628/AB.3EH3V4V5P.

Zogby, James J. “Trump’s Board of Peace Ignores Palestinian History and Rights | James J. Zogby | AW,” February 2026.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21107/tlr.v8i2.33636