Palestinian Ambassador Moved by Strong Indonesian Support for Palestine

Jakarta, MINA – Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Abdalfatah A.K. Alsattari expressed his emotion and appreciation for the strong support of the Indonesian people for Palestine.

This was conveyed by Abdalfatah after attending the 100th Anniversary Thanksgiving Reception of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor (PMDG) in Ponorogo Regency, East Java on Saturday.

Abdalfatah said that the support of the Indonesian people for Palestine had been felt since he first arrived in Indonesia about eight months ago. According to him, this support comes not only from President Prabowo Subianto but also from leaders and various elements of Indonesian society.

“Since I arrived in Indonesia, for eight months, I have begun to feel enormous support for Palestine. And this is not the first time the President has spoken about the situation in Palestine. In various speeches, and also Indonesian leaders, they speak about Palestine,” said Abdalfatah.

He admitted he was even more moved when President Prabowo mentioned Palestine in his remarks before the extended Gontor family. The statement was then met with thunderous applause from students, alumni, and invited guests. In that atmosphere, Abdalfatah approached President Prabowo and draped the Palestinian keffiyeh around the President’s neck as a form of respect and an expression of gratitude.

“I felt very happy when I saw him present, and I decided to give the Palestinian keffiyeh to him, to thank him,” he said.

According to Abdalfatah, the keffiyeh given to the President is not merely a cloth or a symbol of Palestinian culture. The keffiyeh has a historical meaning closely tied to the identity and struggle of the Palestinian people. He said the giving of the keffiyeh was a symbol of gratitude to President Prabowo and the Indonesian people who have shown support for Palestine.

The moment when he embraced President Prabowo also left an emotional impression on Abdalfatah. He admitted he felt that the Palestinian people were not facing their struggle alone. “I might have cried afterward because when I hugged him, I felt that we are not alone. Indonesia stands with Palestine and my people are not alone in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said.

Abdalfatah also expressed his appreciation to the Indonesian people, including students, the extended Gontor family, universities, civil society, and the media that continue to pay attention to the situation in Palestine. To the Indonesian people, especially the students and the extended Gontor family, he hopes that concern for Palestine will continue to be maintained.

He also conveyed one request to the Indonesian people, which is to continue praying for the Palestinian people and their struggle. “We need only one thing from the Indonesian people, we need prayers, only prayers for my people, for my country, and for our struggle. And we will meet together in Palestine,” he concluded.

The moment occurred during the 100th anniversary celebration of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor, one of Indonesia’s most prominent Islamic boarding schools.

President Prabowo Subianto, who attended the event, chanted “Free Palestine! Free Palestine! Free Palestine!” when greeting the Palestinian ambassador, drawing enthusiastic applause from the attendees.

The ambassador then draped a keffiyeh around the President’s neck, and the two embraced, in a scene that was widely shared on social media and drew praise from Palestinians and their supporters.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has long been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The country has consistently opposed normalization with Israel and has supported the Palestinian cause through diplomatic, humanitarian, and civil society channels.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)