Head of State Widodo also weighed in on the matter, publicly criticising the actions of members of the moderate Muslim organisation. The leader of Nu apologized for “the incident” and described the choice of “timing and manner” as “inappropriate”. The country’s leaders confirmed their support for the Palestinian cause.
Jakarta () – A controversy has erupted in Indonesia, fuelled by President Joko Widodo himself, who has not spared public criticism of the trip to Israel of five representatives of Nahdlatul Ulama (Nu), the most important (moderate) Muslim organisation in the country. The confrontation, and the accusations, were exacerbated by the meeting of the delegation with the Head of State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, after which the leader of the movement addressed his fellow citizens with a “public apology”.
Officially, Jakarta has no diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, but thousands of Indonesians – mostly Christians and Catholics – visit the Holy Land for pilgrimages or spiritual trips, others (but fewer) for vacations or business. All Indonesians can easily obtain Israeli visas thanks to the travel agencies of the Israeli embassy in Singapore. However, even today, any visit to Israel by Indonesians, especially if it involves meetings with local politicians or institutions, is viewed with suspicion, if not outright hostility, and is a harbinger of criticism.
The moderate Muslim movement’s delegation has not been spared attacks, and its president has issued a public “apology” for what he describes as an “incident.” At a press conference held yesterday at the organization’s headquarters in central Jakarta, Yahya Cholil Staquf declared: “As president of Nu, I want to apologize for the visit of our five nahdliyin (members and followers) to Israel and for their initiatives in the country.” The moderate Muslim leader, in an implicit reference to the Gaza war, added that “we fully recognize and admit that such a visit at this time is not appropriate.”
The five Nahdliyin who were received by President Herzog in his office, although the date on which this took place is not clear, are: Zainul Maarif, Munawir Aziz, Nurul Bahrul Ulum, Syukron Makmun and Izza Annafisah Dania. Speaking to Indonesian media, Staquf recalled that his visit to Israel in 2018 was also the subject of criticism, albeit in a personal capacity, long before he assumed the position of leader of Nu and in a “peaceful” atmosphere after meeting with Muslim religious leaders and seeking their opinions. On that occasion, he had met with the then (and current) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Indonesia’s leading interfaith activist, Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur, also traveled to Israel in person in 1994. Before leaving for Tel Aviv, Gus Dur also paid a courtesy call on senior Nu clerics, asking for their opinion. “The visit,” Staquf continued in his speech, “did not cause any stir within Nu, as Gus Dur shared his plan to visit Israel with the senior clerics and informed them of his meetings with his Israeli counterparts on interfaith movements.” Although the visit of the five nahdliyin falls within a profoundly different framework from those of 2018 and 1994.
The dispute is also an opportunity to confirm Jakarta’s strong support for Palestine and its cause. Nu leader Ulil Abshar Abdalla, despite his moderate political stance on many issues, maintains that such a visit is not an “appropriate” gesture at a time when the Jewish state is waging a “brutal war” against Hamas in Palestine. In line with its political stance on international issues, but especially on Palestine, Indonesia has always morally and politically supported its independence, as well as backing the two-state solution as a way to end the regional conflict.
This rigid stance was also reiterated yesterday by President Jokowi. Interviewed by local media and showing deep irritation, the leader harshly criticized the trip of the five Nahdliyin and the meeting with Israeli President Herzog. “Regarding the trip, please ask the Nahdlatul Ulama and not me,” said Jokowi, recalling finally that “Indonesia’s foreign policy on the Palestinian issue has always been very clear: to support the independence of the Palestinian nation.”
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