Students at University of Indonesia Protest Pro-Zionist Scholar's Visit

3 weeks ago 15

August 25, 2025 | 05:51 pm

Peter Berkowitz, the Tad and Dianne Taube Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, as a speaker in the University of Indonesia's (UI) introduction of the university's academic system (PSAU) event at the UI Campus, Depok, on August 23, 2025. Screenshot of UI YouTube

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of students from the University of Indonesia Students for Justice in Palestine (UISJP) community staged a protest at the Rotunda Campus Field on Monday, August 25, 2025.

The demonstration follows the students' outrage over the university's decision to invite researcher Peter Berkowitz from Stanford University's Hoover Institution to speak at an academic event on Saturday.

According to coordinator Razan Diandra, students are deeply disappointed with the university's choice of the Jewish researcher, a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, as a speaker for the introduction of the university's academic system (PSAU) event.

"Berkowitz's presence not only hurts us as individuals who condemn genocide, but also violates the values of justice and humanity that should be upheld by educational institutions," Razan told Tempo on Monday, August 25, 2025.

Razan estimated that over 200 people, including students and educators, would join the protest. She stated that the presence of a pro-Zionist figure contradicts the spirit of Indonesia's constitution and foreign policy, which opposes all forms of colonization.

The protesters will also demand that the University of Indonesia show a genuine commitment to Palestine through tangible actions, such as academic collaborations with Palestinian educational institutions, humanitarian solidarity programs, and campus policies that reject the normalization of Zionism, rather than just ceremonial statements.

In response to the backlash, the university issued a public apology. UI's Head of Public Relations, Arie Afriansyah, acknowledged that the university was not thorough in checking Berkowitz's background. "UI apologizes for not being thorough in checking Berkowitz's background," Arie said in an official statement on Sunday, August 24, 2025.

Profile of Peter Berkowitz

Peter Berkowitz is the Tad and Dianne Taube Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He served as Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State from 2019-2021 and received the Bradley Prize in 2017. Berkowitz's support for Israel and Zionism is well-documented.

In a 2006 interview with Michael Cromartie, Vice President of the Ethics & Public Policy Center, Berkowitz provided a brief history of Zionism and emphasized the importance of the movement. He also discussed the challenges Israel faces, the potential nuclear capabilities of Iran, and the rise of post-Zionist ideology.

Berkowitz has authored several books and opinions in defense of Israel. In his 2012 book, Israel and the Struggle over the International Laws of War, he defends Israel against criticisms related to international law, such as the Goldstone Report and the Gaza flotilla incident. He argues that such criticisms ignore Israel's right as a liberal democracy to defend itself from "transnational terrorism."

His support for Israel is also evident in his opinion articles, including "Explaining Israel's Just War of Self-Defense to America," "Reclaiming Israel's Hybrid Character," and "Reconciling Israeli and U.S. Plans for 'The Day After' in Gaza," all published in 2024.

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