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Indonesia's Foreign Ministry reacts to Prabowo pictured on pro-Trump Gaza deal billboards

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Tempo - September 30, 2025

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – A billboard featuring a photo of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto alongside several heads of state has gone viral on social media. One of the posts, shared by the account @AbrahamShield25 on Sunday, September 29, 2025, gained widespread attention.

The billboard displays large writing in English, "Mr. President, Israel Stands By Your Plan, Seal The Deal." Tempo saw the post on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, which had been viewed 6.2 million times.

The billboard also features U.S. President Donald Trump standing at the center alongside Prabowo, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and King of Jordan Abdullah II on his right side.

Other leaders are positioned to Trump's left: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas.

The account posted four photos displaying the billboard at four different locations, albeit where exactly was not detailed.

The post mentions that the Israel Regional Security Coalition has launched a new nationwide billboard campaign urging the government to support President Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza. The coalition also backs the expansion of the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements initiated by Trump to normalize relations between Israel and several countries.

The coalition is a non-partisan group consisting of over 120 senior security, policy, and economic leaders in Israel. They describe Trump's proposal as a serious and responsible step to transform Israel's military advantage into a strategic diplomatic breakthrough and create a new reality in Gaza, without Hamas.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry responds

Yvonne Mewengkang, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed Indonesia's clear stance, "There will be no recognition and normalization with Israel, either through the Abraham Accords or other platforms, unless Israel first acknowledges an independent and sovereign Palestinian state," she stated on Monday evening, September 29, 2025.

Yvonne echoed the previous statement of Foreign Minister Sugiono, stressing that any vision of Israel must first begin with the recognition of Palestine's independence and sovereignty.

Netanyahu commended Prabowo's UN address

The controversial billboard emerged shortly after his address before the United Nations General Assembly. During his statement in New York, United States, on Tuesday, September 23, Prabowo expressed Indonesia's willingness to recognize Israel, but only if Israel first acknowledges the sovereignty and independence of Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded Prabowo's speech at the same forum. "I took note, as I'm sure you did too, of the encouraging words spoken here by the President of Indonesia. This is the country with the world's largest Muslim population of all nations," said Netanyahu, who delivered his speech on Friday, September 26, 2025.

Sugiono avoided commenting extensively on Netanyahu's speech, reiterating the necessity of Palestinian independence and sovereignty ahead of any vision on Israel. "That's his stance, don't ask me about it," Sugiono told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States, on Friday, as reported by Antara.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2053000/indonesias-foreign-ministry-reacts-to-prabowo-pictured-on-pro-trump-gaza-deal-billboard

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