President Prabowo Chants "Free Palestine" at Boarding School Centenary Event

RRI.CO.ID, Ponorogo – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto chanted “Free Palestine” at a reception commemorating the centenary of Modern Boarding School Darussalam Gontor in Ponorogo Regency, East Java, on Saturday, September 19, 2026. He urged students at the Islamic boarding school to learn from the Palestinian experience so that Indonesia would not be "trampled on by other nations".

Founded in 1926 during the Dutch East Indies era, the Modern Boarding School Darussalam Gontor is a well-known Islamic boarding school in Indonesia. It is one of the earliest of such schools in the country that blends religious teaching with modern knowledge.

As quoted from the country's Presidential Secretariat, President Prabowo in his remarks initially greeted the ambassadors attending the event one by one. When he reached the Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia, Abdalfatah A.K. Alsattari, the applause from students, alumni, and guests suddenly grew louder, reflecting their support for Palestine.

"Free Palestine! Free Palestine! Free Palestine!" President Prabowo shouted from the podium in English, followed by similar chants by the audience.

Alsattari then approached Prabowo and draped a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian patterned scarf, around his neck. The two briefly embraced before Prabowo resumed his speech with the keffiyeh draped over his shoulders.

One of the issues Prabowo addressed was the situation of the Palestinian people. Speaking before the Gontor community, he reminded them that the suffering should remind Indonesia to build national strength.

"I was just thinking about our brothers and sisters in Palestine. They are being massacred, bombed, and attacked continuously, while we seem to be somewhat powerless to help them," the president said.

For Prabowo, concern for the Palestinian people should not stop at sympathy. In an educational setting such as Gontor, he called on religious leaders, scholars, educators, and especially young people to turn that concern into a motivation to study diligently and help build a strong Indonesia.

"I believe this should encourage all of us, especially you, especially the kiai, the ulama, and educators at institutions such as Gontor. I believe this should encourage and spark a determination," Prabowo said.

"A determination to study diligently. A determination to build a strong Indonesian nation, because a nation that is not strong will be trampled on by other nations," he continued.

Under Prabowo’s leadership, the Indonesian government has sought to play an active role in efforts to resolve the conflict in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where attacks by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in 2023 were followed by Israeli military attacks that many observers have described as genocide. In January 2026, Indonesia joined the Board of Peace, a United States-led international organization backed by the United Nations, to support the peace process in Gaza.

Disclaimer: “Israel” refers to a country in the Middle East, regardless of its etymology as another name for Jacob, a revered figure in Abrahamic religions.