Indonesian Islamic organization faces backlash over members’ meeting with Israeli President

INDONESIA: Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), a prominent Islamic religious organization in Indonesia, has come under fire after five of its members met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The meeting, revealed through social media, has sparked significant backlash from netizens and the broader Indonesian community.

The controversy began with a post by Zainul Maarif, an NU member and university lecturer, on his Instagram account “zenmaarif.”

The post included a photo of Maarif and four other members meeting with President Herzog.

In his caption, Maarif explained that the meeting aimed to discuss the Hamas-Israel conflict and the relations between Indonesia and Israel.

He wrote, “Instead of demonstrating on the streets, I prefer to discuss and express ideas. Regarding the conflict between Hamas-Israel, and Indonesia-Israel relations. I and my group had a direct dialogue with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog.”

Public outrage erupts over NU members’ meeting with Israeli president

The post quickly went viral, drawing a wave of criticism from netizens.

Many expressed their disapproval, emphasizing that the Indonesian government supports Palestinian independence as mandated by the constitution.

Additionally, Indonesia and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, further fueling the controversy.

One netizen commented, “If Israel ignores the ICJ and the UN, then what kind of dialogue is expected from these 5 representatives to support Palestine, if not for Israel’s public communication agenda in Muslim-majority countries?”

Another echoed this sentiment, stating, “International relations are primarily about power. The ICJ and the UN don’t even have any influence on this.”

Others criticized the practical aspects of the meeting.

“They don’t even listen to the world organizations, let alone just mass organizations. How can you do something in vain and become an image material?” wrote one user.

Adding to the backlash, another user cautioned, “Indonesian ulama should be wary of political propaganda. Don’t be proud of not demonstrating but unknowingly become part of a campaign to justify genocide.”

PBNU apologizes and disavows members’ unauthorized meeting with Israeli President

In response to the criticism, the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) issued a statement.

PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya) apologized to the public, clarifying that the visit was not institutionally sanctioned.

“We have received confirmation from the relevant institutions under PBNU. That the institutions whose personnel went to Israel knew absolutely nothing, there was no institutional mandate, no institutional discussion.”

“So what members who go to Israel do is their personal responsibility, and is not related to the institution,” Gus Yahya stated at a press conference on Tuesday (16 July).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pengurus Besar Nahdlatul Ulama (@nahdlatululama)

PBNU Chairman for Law and Media, Savic Ali, confirmed the identities of the five individuals who met with President Herzog, noting that some were NU administrators.

Expressing disappointment over the visit, Savic emphasized that the individuals were not in a position to negotiate or apply pressure on Israel.

He voiced concern that Israel might use the meeting to imply support from Muslim groups.

“Israel will use this meeting to show that there are Muslims who stand on their side,” Savic said, adding that the meeting had hurt the feelings of the Palestinian people and tarnished NU’s image internationally.

Savic indicated that PBNU would summon the involved administrators upon their return to Indonesia to understand the motivations behind the meeting.