July 16, 2024
JAKARTA – The Foreign Ministry has said that the visit made by five young Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) activists to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem was not by any means representative of Indonesia’s official stance.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Roy Soemirat on Monday underlined that the ministry will not comment further on the visit since it “is not related in any way to the formal stance of the Indonesian government”.
Similarly, the NU executive board (PBNU) said that the visit was made without the organization’s endorsement, slamming the act as ignorant and “hurtful” to the principles held by NU.
Over the weekend, a post shared by an NU activist Zainul Maarif on his now-private Instagram account made rounds on the internet after it showed several Indonesian citizens posing with Herzog at his official residence in Jerusalem.
According to screen captures of the post, Zainul in his caption said that his visit was meant to discuss the “conflict between Hamas and Israel” and “the relationship between Indonesia and Israel”.
“I am not a protester, I am a religious philosopher. Instead of protesting on the streets and conducting boycotts, I much prefer discussions and conveying ideas,” he wrote.
As the post quickly gained traction online, NU headquarters in a Sunday statement lambasted the visit, saying that it was made by “people who do not understand geopolitics, are unaware of the NU’s organizational principles and are ignorant of the organization’s collective sentiment”.
“It is most probable that the visit was made on their personal behalf. We do not know the main objective of the visit, or who sponsored this regrettable act,” said NU spokesperson Savic Ali.
“What’s clear is that their visit is difficult to accept because it has hurt the feelings of the Nahdliyin family. It is inappropriate for NU members to visit Israel. It is an act of geopolitical ignorance,” he continued.
NU secretary-general Saifullah Yusuf, popularly known as Gus Ipul, also added that the organization was currently investigating the matter and would take punitive measures against the activists if they are proven to have violated organizational rules.
Indonesia, a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause, has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. As a result, Indonesian citizens seeking to visit Israel – typically for religious tourism – must first get a special visa endorsed by certain groups or sponsors.