REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Five members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) faced dismissal from the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia after meeting with Israeli leader Isaac Herzog. The image of their meeting with Herzog went viral on social media, causing an uproar among the Indonesian public, who viewed the meeting as unwise, given the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Indonesia firmly supports Palestinian independence and neither recognizes Israel nor has diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. According to the statement on Thursday, NU Executive Board (PBNU) Secretary General Saifullah Yusuf asked the five members to resign voluntarily or be sacked from their positions.

The five members were executives in NU's Banten branch and NU-affiliated institutions, such as the young women's wing Fatayat NU, pencak silat wing Pagar Nusa NU, and Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia University (Unusia). Yusuf explained that PBNU Chairperson Yahya Cholil Staquf personally summoned one of the five members.

The other four had been summoned by leaders of the respective NU autonomous units where they served for questioning. An internal investigation of the five members' activities leading to the meeting with the Israeli leader found that their visit was made in a personal capacity and sponsored by a non-governmental organization.

However, the sponsor did not disclose the meeting with Herzog as part of the visit, which was carried out under an interfaith dialogue mission at the invitation of the five members. The five members admitted their fault over the meeting and the resulting public uproar.

Nonetheless, the organization found their participation in the visit violated NU rules. "The visit has violated NU regulations since any cooperation with external parties requires PBNU approval," Yusuf added.

The secretary-general stated that the dismissal should serve as a deterrent to prevent similar violations in the future. 

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