Int'l Parliament Caucus Provides Support for Palestinian Independence

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Parliament Caucus for World Peace reaffirmed its commitment to promoting support for the Palestinian struggle for independence during a meeting between the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and the Indonesian House of Representatives' Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP) in Jakarta on Thursday, August 20, 2026. Representing the union is Palestinian parliamentarian Marwan Muhammad Abu Ras, who is also the union's Chairperson of the Al-Quds and Palestine Committee.

A House member and one of the caucus’s initiators, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung, said the meeting was an opportunity to gain firsthand information on the current situation of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza. He noted that the humanitarian situation in the region remains "extremely concerning".

"The latest information we received yesterday indicates that 17 more Gazans died and 40 were injured... It is truly worrying," Doli said as quoted from dpr.go.id.

Given these conditions, Doli believes Indonesia needs to continue strengthening its support for Palestine, both through the government and civil society. Doli urged the government to take a more active role in coordinating with countries that are members of the Board of Peace (BoP), saying Indonesia’s position could be leveraged to promote concrete steps to halt Israel’s military aggression and advance Palestinian independence.

"We hope our government will be more serious and truly convince the countries in the BoP. We will also urge the U.S. (United States) to immediately impose sanctions or some form of resistance against Israel's military aggression," Doli emphasized.

In addition, Doli suggested expanding support for Palestine through people-to-people engagement. One approach is building relationships between Indonesian and Palestinian mosques and hospitals like in some cases, allowing for more direct support to Palestine

He also opened up the possibility of developing the network through schools and other institutions. Doli said the Indonesian House of Representative could also promote this initiative through networks in their respective constituencies.

"For example, we have electoral districts, both in the House of Representatives and the Regional Representative Council. Perhaps the mosques in our electoral districts, and our hospitals, can also start to be connected to hospitals and mosques there," he said.

Doli further said the meeting also raised the idea of Indonesia hosting an international gathering of Muslim scholars, specifically focused on efforts to strengthen the Palestinian people’s struggle toward independence. He emphasized that the caucus will continue to encourage the government to take more strategic steps in fighting for Palestinian independence.

"We, as representatives of parliament, will continue to encourage and support Prabowo's government to immediately take more tactical and strategic steps to achieve Palestinian independence," Doli said.