DID Press: Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the world’s largest Islamic organization with approximately 100 million members, has called on its leader, Yahya Cholil Istaquf, to resign within three days for inviting a U.S. scholar supportive of Israel. If he refuses, he faces removal from his post, according to a meeting record reviewed by Reuters.
NU leaders, during a November 20 session, said that the invitation of an individual described as “linked to the international Zionist network,” alongside allegations of financial mismanagement, prompted this decision. Istaquf has led NU since 2021 and has yet to respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
According to local media on November 23, Istaquf said that he was appointed for a five-year term and will not resign, asserting that the leaders who convened the session do not have the authority to remove him.
Najib Azca, NU’s deputy secretary-general, said the latest decision directly linked to Istaquf’s invitation of Peter Berkowitz, a former U.S. government official and scholar who has supported Israel’s actions in Gaza. Berkowitz had been invited for an internal educational program in August.
Berkowitz’s website shows that he has repeatedly expressed support for Israeli operations and, in September, published an article rejecting accusations of genocide. In August, he also spoke at several NU seminars on the history of Western political thought. Requests for comment to Berkowitz outside working hours went unanswered.
Istaquf apologized for the invitation, describing it as an “oversight” for not thoroughly reviewing Berkowitz’s background. He also condemned Israel for its “brutal and genocidal actions in Gaza.”
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has consistently condemned Israel’s actions since the 2023 Gaza war, has emphasized a two-state solution, and maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel.