"For us, helping Palestine is not just about food, but about humanity,” Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said in a written statement on Saturday.
He reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to building humanitarian-oriented food cooperation for the Palestinian people, with support demonstrated through investment and sustainable agricultural development.
"Our brothers and sisters there have the right to a decent life, including the right to food," Sulaiman said.
He added that he had met with Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhair Al-Shun to discuss the initiative. As an initial step, Indonesia is offering 10,000–15,000 hectares of investment land for Palestine in North Kalimantan.
The land will be developed into an integrated area for food crops, livestock, and agro-industry, involving state-owned enterprises, private companies, and regional partners in Southeast Asia and other friendly nations.
"Palestine is an important part of this initiative," Sulaiman said.
He emphasized that Indonesia will continue to support Palestine through horticultural development, technology transfer, and agricultural training.
"Indonesia stands with Palestine not only diplomatically, but also through concrete cooperation in the food sector. This is a down-to-earth form of support," he stated.
Palestinian Ambassador Zuhair Al-Shun expressed appreciation for Indonesia's commitment, describing the cooperation as a new milestone that strengthens bilateral solidarity and cross-sector collaboration.
Zuhair said the visit of the Palestinian investment technical team to Indonesia might be postponed due to the security situation in Palestine but assured continued coordination and readiness to implement the project when conditions allow.
He also expressed deep gratitude for Indonesia’s consistent support.
"I have great respect for this country because I know how hard Indonesia works for us. I've been here for eight years. If I'm no longer in office, I won't leave this country. That's my promise," Zuhair said.
The Indonesia–Palestine cooperation also covers the exchange of sustainable agricultural technologies, including water-efficient irrigation, desert farming, climate-resilient seeds, and digital-based and hydroponic systems.
In human resource development, Indonesia will expand training quotas for young Palestinian farmers and officials, including internships on integrated agricultural sites in Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
As a follow-up, both countries plan to form a Joint Working Committee in early 2026 to finalize the action plan and ensure timely implementation of the agreed initiatives.
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Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Anton Santoso
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