Prabowo Chants Free Palestine at Gontor’s 100th Anniversary, Receives Keffiyeh
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| President Prabowo Subianto receives a Palestinian keffiyeh from Ambassador Abdulfattah A.K. Al-Sattari during Gontor’s centennial reception. (Red/Pwt) |
PEWARTA.CO.ID — President Prabowo Subianto led a “Free Palestine” chant during the reception marking the 100th anniversary of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor in Ponorogo, East Java, on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The moment came after he acknowledged Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulfattah A.K. Al-Sattari among the foreign diplomats attending the event. Presiden Republik Indonesia
Prabowo repeated the phrase three times, with thousands of people at the reception responding together each time. The exchange took place during his speech at the main reception celebrating a century of Gontor's educational journey.
Palestinian ambassador presents Prabowo with a keffiyeh
Following the chant, Al-Sattari presented Prabowo with a Palestinian keffiyeh, a traditional scarf associated with Palestinian identity. The ambassador then embraced the president on stage in front of the assembled guests.
The gesture came as Prabowo spoke about the situation facing Palestinians and Indonesia's position in supporting people experiencing oppression. He linked that support to the need for Indonesia to continue strengthening its national power.
Prabowo also stressed the importance of maintaining Indonesia's sovereignty so the country would not experience colonization again. His remarks placed the discussion of Palestine within a broader message about national strength and independence.
Gontor centennial reception
The Kesyukuran Reception marking 100 years of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor served as the culmination of the institution's centennial commemorations. The event brought together government officials, religious figures, diplomats, students, and alumni.
Before attending the reception, Prabowo inaugurated the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Darussalam Gontor. The university's official English-language site identifies the institution's medical school as the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Darussalam Gontor.
The appearance in Ponorogo brought together the centennial celebration of one of Indonesia's prominent Islamic boarding schools with a public expression of support for Palestine from the Indonesian president.
