INDOPOSCO.ID – The atmosphere at the centennial celebration of Darussalam Gontor Modern Islamic Boarding School in Ponorogo, East Java, suddenly became charged with enthusiasm when President Prabowo Subianto delivered his speech on Saturday (Sept. 19, 2026).
Addressing students, invited guests, and several ambassadors from friendly countries, Prabowo greeted representatives of the countries in attendance one by one.
The atmosphere, however, erupted in applause when Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Abdalfatah A.K. Alsattari was mentioned. The applause from students and invited guests filled the room, reflecting strong support for Palestine during the centennial celebration of one of Indonesia’s largest Islamic boarding schools.
Prabowo then raised his voice from the podium.
“Free Palestine! Free Palestine! Free Palestine!” Prabowo shouted, prompting a loud response from the audience.
The moment was followed by a brief encounter between Prabowo and the Palestinian ambassador. Alsattari then approached the president and placed a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf closely associated with Palestinian identity, around Prabowo’s neck. The gesture was also reported by official and media accounts of the event.
The symbolic moment drew the attention of political analyst Bawono Kumoro. He said Prabowo’s call at Gontor reaffirmed Indonesia’s position in support of the Palestinian struggle for independence.
“President Prabowo’s cry of ‘Free Palestine’ at the event was not merely rhetoric, but a manifestation of Indonesia’s consistent support for the Palestinian struggle for independence,” Bawono said in a statement on Sunday (Sept. 20, 2026).
Bawono linked Prabowo’s remarks at Gontor to the position previously expressed by the president at an international forum.
About a year earlier, Prabowo voiced Indonesia’s support for the Palestinian struggle for independence at the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York, United States.
The forum was held as part of the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly.
For Indonesia, Bawono said, Prabowo’s participation in the forum was not merely ceremonial. His presence in the UN General Assembly chamber demonstrated continuity in Indonesia’s position in support of Palestinian independence.
Bawono added that Indonesia’s support did not stop at political statements.
He highlighted concrete steps taken by the Indonesian government to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
“Let’s not forget that in the middle of last year, the Indonesian government used two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft operated by the Indonesian Air Force to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza suffering from hunger amid Israel’s genocide,” he added. (her)
