An internal investigation into the June trip by five NU members revealed that one of them was linked to a covert group reportedly connected to Israel.
Members Dismissed
Zainul Maarif, along with three other NU members—Mukti Ali Qusyairi, Roland Gunawan, and Sapri Saleh—were dismissed from the body’s Jakarta fatwa unit on July 18 due to their reported involvement with the Ibrahim Heritage Study Center for Peace (RAHIM), a Jakarta-based NGO aiming to promote cooperation among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Local media reported alleged ties between RAHIM and Israel, suggesting that the NGO had approached the NU members for the trip.
Hebrew Classes in Indonesia
Among the four, Zainul was the only one who visited Israel with NU colleagues. On July 27, the head of NU Jakarta, Samsul Ma’arif, informed CNA that they retracted the decision to sack Sapri, clarifying that he is only a Hebrew teacher and not affiliated with RAHIM.
Sapri mentioned he had not been formally notified about the retraction but had heard rumors.
NU management also disclosed that RAHIM had used the logo of NU’s fatwa body on its now-offline website.
The backlash from the Israel visit has extended to other religious hubs, increasing sensitivities in the Muslim-majority country. Shortly after the contentious trip, Istiqlal, Southeast Asia’s biggest mosque where Sapri volunteers as a Hebrew teacher, faced public scrutiny for planning a seminar with Ari Gordon, the director of Muslim-Jewish Relations at the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
The seminar, slated for July 17, was canceled at the last minute following online criticism. Grand Imam of Istiqlal, Nasaruddin Umar, denied planning the seminar, citing the student holiday period as a reason for its impracticality.
Since May, Istiqlal has offered free Hebrew lessons taught by Sapri, who is uncertain if his class will resume after the school break ends in mid-August. Student Melvin Abrillian expressed a desire for the class to continue, emphasizing the importance of understanding the relationship between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism to uphold religious tolerance in Indonesia.
Conflict Discussion
In an Instagram post, Zainul mentioned discussing the Hamas-Israel conflict and relations between Indonesia and Israel during his visit. The post went viral, resulting in public anger and forcing Zainul to disable comments and eventually delete the post.
Hurriyah, a political lecturer at the University of Indonesia, stated that the trip provoked strong reactions due to ongoing Israeli actions against Palestinians, which the Indonesian government has condemned.
Meeting Netanyahu
On July 16, NU’s general chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf held a press conference to apologize for the incident. Yahya, who faced criticism in 2018 for meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, apologized on behalf of NU members and expressed hope for forgiveness and that such incidents would not recur. He stated that the relevant parties within NU would decide on the individuals involved.
Sukron clarified to CNA that the trip was initiated by civil society and not sponsored by the Israeli government. He emphasized the goal of the trip was to explore ways Indonesian civil society could contribute to peace efforts, given the lack of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel.
Ahmad Suaedy, an NU head, told CNA that the group did not inform NU management about their plans to visit Israel. He stressed that the issue is not about Israel or Jewish people but the ongoing genocide in Gaza, condemning both Israel’s and Hamas’ strategies.
Following the controversy, Izza and Nurul resigned from their NU positions, while Sukron stated he no longer holds a managerial role within NU. Ahmad mentioned that NU reaffirmed its policy of not collaborating with organizations thought to have ties with Israel, reminding members of this stance, initially established in 2021.
Despite public resentment, Sukron reiterated their mission to achieve peace, focusing on the message of peace, human suffering, and the need for dialogue. Sapri, reflecting on his experience, acknowledged the importance of wise decision-making, noting that intellectual and academic arguments often cannot contain emotions.
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