Hidayat Nur Wahid Appreciates Growing Support for Palestine at the UN
The Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW), has welcomed the strengthening support for the existence of Palestine at the United Nations (UN).
HNW also supports the implementation of sanctions, including trade sanctions or restrictions on goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories, by 12 European and North American countries.
According to HNW, the international community must act more decisively to stop the crimes committed by Israel against Palestine (Gaza). He noted that the UN General Assembly recently passed a resolution regarding Palestine’s participation in the 81st session of the General Assembly, which was approved by 1s2 countries, with three rejections and four abstentions.
“The strengthening existence of support for Palestine in the UN is also appreciated by the Arab League, and certainly by all of us. Hopefully, this can strengthen the role in liberating the Palestinian nation,” said HNW on Monday (21/9/2026).
Furthermore, HNW emphasised the need to strengthen Palestine’s position within the UN so that its delegation can officially present the facts on the ground and defend itself freely in international forums, with the goal of halting humanitarian crimes.
This momentum was significantly bolstered in September 2024, during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, where the Palestinian delegation gained additional participation rights, such as sitting among member state delegations and submitting proposals and amendments. Approximately 157 UN member states have already recognised Palestine. HNW stated that full UN membership should be granted immediately, rather than maintaining the status of a non-member observer state.
“This is something we must continue to fight for together,” HNW added.
HNW also expressed appreciation for the stance of 12 European and North American countries that are set to implement trade sanctions or restrictions on goods from illegal Israeli settlements. He hopes this move will be followed by more countries worldwide, including Arab and Islamic nations.
“This good intention and step is very much needed and is expected to pressure Israel, not only to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, such as the West Bank, but also to ensure that the crimes of genocide or humanitarian crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip are brought to an end,” he said.
The 12 European and North American countries that have confirmed they will implement trade restrictions on goods from the Israeli occupation include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. They will implement these trade restrictions or sanctions through their respective national laws.
HNW noted that according to research by several independent institutions, Israel currently controls 92% of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, while Palestine controls only 8%. Since 2023, Israel has approved 104 new settlements. With over 500,000 settlers now living on land promised to the Palestinian people since 1947, the hope for a two-state solution is fading.
Furthermore, HNW hopes that the ‘reversal’ seen in several Western countries—which frequently support Israel—could be followed by Arab-Islamic nations. Previously, eight Arab-Islamic nations (Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates) issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s moves to expand its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.
“These Arab-Islamic nations should be able to impose even heavier trade sanctions, not just on goods from territories considered illegal occupations, but also on goods from all of Israel. This would certainly exert strong economic pressure on Israel, including revising the diplomatic normalisation of relations with Israel that has already been undertaken by several Arab nations,” HHW asserted.
HNW also emphasised that he will continue to push for trade sanctions against Israel to be widely applied in Indonesia. Although Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, trade relations continue to exist.
“This must be stopped immediately, and we continue to push for the Draft Law on Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel to be discussed and passed immediately,” he said.
In parallel with the steps taken by several countries, HNW also hopes that international organisations, such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the UN Human Rights Council, can act and issue concrete rulings to stop Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people.
“While the steps of several countries are in line with and based on the legal grounds of the ICJ’s advisory opinion, these international organisations also need to produce more decisive and concrete rulings,” HNW stated.
According to HNW, data shows that the victims of Israeli genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip between 7 October 2023 and August 2026 are primarily children and women. The number of Palestinian child casualties reached 34,480 (45% of total deaths), while women accounted for 15,324 (20% of total deaths).
“In fact, the number of child casualties in the Gaza Strip has far exceeded the number of child victims in the Holocaust that affected the Jewish people in Europe in the 1940s,” HNW remarked.
Official sources from the Palestinian Ministry of Health recorded that the total number of fatalities since the ceasefire was established has approached 74,000, with 174,914 injuries. “These crimes must be stopped immediately, and the perpetrators must face severe legal sanctions, so that the loss of life and injuries caused by Israeli terror and atrocities do not recur,” he concluded.