The world’s largest Islamic organization is demanding that its chairman resign after he invited Jewish-American researcher Peter Berkowitz, known for supporting Israel, to an internal event in August.
Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama leadership gave Yahya Cholil Staquf three days to tender his resignation or be removed from his post, according to minutes from a Nov. 20 meeting reviewed by Reuters.
Nahdlatul Ulama, or N.U., claims around 100 million members and affiliates. According to the article published Sunday, N.U. cited Staquf’s invitation to an individual “affiliated with an international Zionism network” and alleged financial mismanagement as reasons for his ouster.
Staquf apologized for the invitation and said it was an oversight, noting that he had not carefully vetted Berkowitz, and added that he condemned Israel’s “brutal genocidal acts in Gaza.” Berkowitz frequently pens columns in support of the Jewish state, including a Real Clear Politics article on Sept. 14 titled “Debunking Genocide Allegations against Israel.”
Berkowitz recapped his seminars in Jakarta in a Real Clear Politics article published Aug. 24 titled “Teaching Western Political Thought in Indonesia.”
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has been mentioned as a possible candidate to join the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. The Indonesian government in October denied Israeli media reports of an imminent trip to Israel by President Prabowo Subianto.
Indonesia is also among the countries with which Washington has discussed contributing forces to Gaza following the Trump administration-brokered Israel-Hamas cease-fire agreement, which took effect Oct. 10. The country’s defense minister announced on Nov. 14 that Indonesia has trained some 20,000 troops to participate in the International Stabilization Force envisioned in U.S. President Donald Trump’s post-war plan for the Gaza Strip.
