Gus Dur accepts offer to join Israeli institute

Gus Dur accepts offer to join Israeli institute

SURABAYA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the country's
largest Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has accepted an
offer to join the Jerusalem-based Simon Peres Institute.

Abdurahman, better known as Gus Dur, said after a post-Idul
Fitri gathering of 5,000 parents and students at the Khadijah
girls boarding school here Saturday that he had confirmed his
acceptance to the former Israeli prime minister.

However Abdurrahman declined to elaborate on the status of his
membership within the independent organization which deals with
regional and international affairs.

"Don't ask me the details. I have agreed to become one of the
organization's members, that's all," he said.

He said he would fly to Israel's capital in October to meet
with Peres and for his induction into the institute.

Abdurrahman, renowned as a controversial figure, has led the
30-million-member NU since 1984.

He made his first visit to Israel in 1994 during which he
delivered a lecture at Tel Aviv University.

Abdurrahman said he had assessed the public reaction to his
decision to accept the offer. "Take it easy. There are people
opposing and supporting me as always," he said.

A legislator of the dominant political group Golkar, Abu Hasan
Sazili, threw his weight behind Abdurrahman's decision to join
the Israeli organization, saying Abdurrahman would be an asset to
Indonesia's participation in the establishment of peace in the
Middle East.

Abdurrahman denied he would need the government's consent to
join the institute. "I'm just becoming a member of an institute
of studies," he said.

Indonesia, the world's largest Moslem country, does not have
diplomatic ties with the Jewish government. Peres, as foreign
affairs minister, was behind former prime minister Yitzhak
Rabin's unprecedented meeting with President Soeharto here in
1993.

Abdurrahman disclosed the Simon Peres Institute's offer during
a visit in Bandar Lampung last Wednesday.

Peres said in his letter that he was asking Abdurrahman to
join his organization after a thorough study of the Indonesian's
attitude, outlook and perseverance in helping to build peace
through religion.

Abdurrahman said he would have refused the invitation if his
three dead mentors Chudori Tegalrejo, Abd. Fattah Hasyim and
Idris had appeared in his dreams and told him not to accept.
(nur/amd)