‘Tone-deaf’: Indonesia’s largest Islamic group apologises after members meet Israel leader
- An Instagram photo showing five members of Nahdlatul Ulama meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog sparked widespread backlash online
Yahya Cholil Staquf, chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) – which has around 95 million members – called the visit to Israel by its members “inappropriate” and “tone-deaf.”
“We understand that this is something that crossed the line in the context of the current situation [between Israel and Palestine],” Yahya said in a press conference at NU’s headquarters in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He also said that the visit was made without the endorsement or knowledge of NU.
The Indonesian government has meanwhile also swiftly distanced itself from the controversy, saying on Monday that the visit was in no way reflective of its position on Israel.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not in a position to comment on the visit, which is not related in any way to the official position of the Indonesian government,” said ministry spokesman Roy Soemirat, according to a report by local news outlet Kompas.