At the Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor in Ponorogo, East Java, on 19\nSeptember, President Prabowo Subianto stood before thousands of\nstudents, alumni, state officials, and diplomats. When greeting the\nPalestinian Ambassador to Indonesia, Abdulfattah AK Al-Sattari, Prabowo\nclenched his fist and shouted \u201cFree Palestine\u201d three times.<\/p>\n
The call was immediately met with loud cheers from the audience.<\/p>\n
Shortly after, Ambassador Abdulfattah approached the stage and draped\na keffiyeh\u2014a Palestinian-patterned scarf\u2014around Prabowo\u2019s neck. The two\nshared an embrace.<\/p>\n
Prabowo wore the gifted keffiyeh throughout his speech and was seen\nwiping his eyes with the cloth. The President later remarked that the\ngift of the keffiyeh reminded him of his brothers in Palestine.<\/p>\n
The scene was particularly poignant, taking place within a space\nsteeped in symbols of brotherhood, religion, history, and diplomacy at\nthe 100-year-old Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor.<\/p>\n
For Indonesia, the Palestinian issue is not something that has\nsuddenly emerged from a single speech. Support for Palestinian\nindependence has been a long-standing component of Indonesia\u2019s foreign\npolicy for a very long time.<\/p>\n
Therefore, when the President stood with the keffiyeh on his\nshoulders and shouted \u201cFree Palestine\u201d, the cry found its place within\nthe history of Indonesia\u2019s stance towards the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n
The shout is worthy of appreciation. There was firmness in it. A\nmessage was conveyed regarding a clear position presented before the\npublic.<\/p>\n
However, after that voice echoed, there remains a broader space for\nthe next question: What can be done after a nation shouts \u201cFree\nPalestine\u201d?<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/free-palestine-from-gontor-to-macklevan-1790661780", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }