The Rhetoric of "Board of Peace" Diplomacy: an Analysis of Prabowo Subianto's Political Communication in Balancing Palestinian Support and Israeli Security Guarantees: Penelitian

Syamsul Efendi; Rabith Madah Khulaili Harsya; Bambang Amir Al-Hakim; Muhammad Thalal; Abd Razak

doi:10.31004/jerkin.v5i1.7408

Authors

Syamsul Efendi Universitas Muhammadiyah Kalianda
Rabith Madah Khulaili Harsya UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon
Bambang Amir Al-Hakim Universitas Islam Darul Ulum Lamongan
Muhammad Thalal Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh
Abd Razak Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31004/jerkin.v5i1.7408

Keywords:

Political Communication, Rhetorical Analysis, Defense Diplomacy, Prabowo Subianto, Middle East Policy

Abstract

This study analyzes the political communication rhetoric of Indonesia's defense diplomacy under Prabowo Subianto, specifically focusing on the conceptualization of the "Board of Peace" framework. Indonesia has traditionally maintained a staunch, constitutionally mandated pro-Palestinian stance while avoiding formal diplomatic ties with Israel. However, contemporary geopolitical shifts require a more nuanced, pragmatic communication strategy that balances ideological solidarity with international security realism. Utilizing a qualitative approach rooted in rhetorical analysis and political discourse frameworks, this paper examines Prabowo's public speeches, international forum addresses, and diplomatic statements regarding the Middle East conflict. The analysis reveals that the "Board of Peace" rhetoric functions as a dual-targeted communication instrument. On one hand, it employs an ethos of Islamic and anti-colonial solidarity to satisfy domestic constituencies and regional allies. On the other hand, it utilizes a pragmatic logos that acknowledges the structural realities of Israeli security guarantees as a prerequisite for any viable two-state consensus. Indonesia is shifting to defensive realism: from being a passive supporter of Palestine to an active global mediator.

References

Acharya, A. (2023). Constructing a global order: Structural realism and middle power diplomacy. Cambridge University Press.

Anwar, D. F. (2021). Indonesia's foreign policy amid global realignments: The case of the Middle East conflict. Journal of Southeast Asian Affairs, 40(2), 145–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/18681034211012345

Buzan, B., & Waever, O. (2022). Regions and powers: The structure of international security. Cambridge University Press.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Fairclough, N. (2015). Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language (2nd ed.). Routledge.

He, K. (2024). Contested leadership: Indonesia’s defense diplomacy in regional and global forums. Asian Security, 20(1), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/14799855.2023.2211445

Leff, M. (2016). Rhetorical criticism and the poetry of politics. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 102(2), 115–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/00335630.2016.1155442

Mearsheimer, J. J. (2021). The tragedy of great power politics (Updated ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Quandt, W. B. (2021). Peace process: American diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1967 (5th ed.). Brookings Institution Press.

Rastati, R. (2022). Digital Islam and foreign policy: Public reaction to Indonesia-Middle East diplomacy. Indonesian Journal of Political Science, 15(3), 211–229.

Saldaña, J. (2021). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Sukma, R. (2020). Islam in Indonesian foreign policy: Domestic politics and the quest for international status. Routledge.

Weatherbee, D. E. (2023). International relations in Southeast Asia: The struggle for autonomy (4th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.

Wendt, A. (2019). Social theory of international politics. Cambridge University Press.

Yunarso, A., & Muhtadi, B. (2025). Populism, religion, and foreign policy: The rhetorical strategies of Prabowo Subianto. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 47(1), 88–112. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs47-1d