HNW Urges Prabowo to Consistently Champion Palestinian Independence

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW) has called on President Prabowo Subianto to maximise Indonesia’s role at the inaugural summit of the Board of Peace (BoP) to halt the war, realise Palestinian independence, and ensure that peace commitments are upheld — commitments he said Israel has consistently violated in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

“President Prabowo’s presence in the United States, where one of his agenda items is attending the inaugural Board of Peace summit, should truly be utilised to stop the war that has brought genocide and all manner of violations committed by Israel against the Palestinian people,” HNW said in a statement on Wednesday (18/2/2026).

“And with the ultimate goal of bringing about peace through Palestinian independence and ending all forms of colonialism in accordance with our constitutional mandate. It is also important that this momentum be maximised together with OIC member states that are part of the BoP, as the foreign ministers of these OIC nations — Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and Pakistan — have already issued three joint statements firmly rejecting Israel’s actions, which clearly violate peace agreements, ceasefire commitments, and Palestinian independence even within the two-state solution framework,” he added.

HNW said the inaugural Board of Peace summit is crucial for President Prabowo to affirm Indonesia’s commitment and role within the BoP alongside other friendly nations — namely, fighting to end the war that has brought genocide to the Gaza Strip, establishing peace, and realising Palestinian independence.

“Indonesia’s presence on the Board of Peace is to carry out that mandate, in line with the original purpose of the Board’s establishment: to stop war, bring about just peace for all parties, and achieve Palestinian independence. Not for any other purpose, and certainly not to serve as a ‘moral legitimacy stamp’ for Israel,” HNW said.

“This hope is also consistent with the aspirations of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, who are asking the Board of Peace to stop the war, genocide, and Israeli violations that continue to this day — nearly a month since the BoP was declared in Davos — which have only added to the toll of civilian casualties, the majority of whom are women and children,” he added.

Furthermore, HNW stated that President Prabowo’s attendance should also be used to address criticism and concerns from various domestic quarters regarding Indonesia’s decision to join the Board of Peace, given fears that it could be exploited to serve merely as a “moral stamp” for the United States and Israel to gain legitimacy for the continued colonisation of Palestine.

“These criticisms and concerns should be answered concretely. And the inaugural Board of Peace summit is the right moment to address them,” he continued.

HNW said Indonesia needs to unite its stance and forge concrete steps and close cooperation with fellow Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states that are also part of the Board of Peace, such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar.

“This coalition needs to be built to reject Israeli manoeuvres that would use the BoP for its colonial interests and to legitimise its violations, as well as to provide balance so that US dominance does not prevail within the Board of Peace. This way, the purpose of the OIC nations’ participation in agreeing to the Board’s formation can truly benefit the Palestinian people — through ending the genocide, allowing humanitarian aid in, delivering justice, and realising an independent Palestine even within the two-state solution framework,” HNW said.

In addition, HNW also expressed his prayers and support for President Prabowo’s other agenda items in the US, namely meetings with American business groups and the signing of reciprocal trade agreements whose negotiations have been ongoing since 2025.

“I hope this agenda can also be successfully carried out so that it truly provides benefits and prosperity for both sides, but remains within the corridor of the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and the welfare of the Indonesian people,” HNW concluded.