Polemics on Antisemitism and Philosemitism in Indonesia

By Sumanto Al Qurtuby

"Few sociocultural phenomena are more pervasive yet poorly understood today than the interplay of negative and positive attitudes toward Jews in nations around the world. In this highly original and brilliantly written book, Sumanto Al Qurtuby - one of today's most accomplished scholars of Islam in Indonesia - brings his scholarly eye to bear on the history and contemporary dynamics of antisemitism and philosemitism in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority society. Both richly detailed and engagingly well-written, this is a book that forever alters our received views on anti-semitism and philosemitism both in Indonesia and in all nations of the world."
- Robert W. Hefner, Professor of Anthropology and Global Affairs, Boston University; President, American Institute for Indonesian Studies

"Sumanto Al Qurtuby has given us an impressive, incisive, and refreshingly balanced study that maps the rarely charted terrain of both antisemitism and philosemitism in Indonesia. With the rigor of a historian and the care of an ethnographer, Sumanto moves effectively from colonial archives to contemporary media feeds and on-the-ground interviews to reveal how ideas about Jews, Israel, and Zionism have been constructed, contested, and transformed across centuries--and why they matter for Indonesia's present and future. Clear-eyed yet empathetic, the book dismantles clich s, surfaces neglected voices, and shows how religion, politics, identity, and geopolitics entangle in surprising ways. This is an indispensable and timely work which should be essential reading for scholars, journalists, policymakers, interfaith leaders, and anyone seeking a nuanced understanding of easy narratives."
- Joseph Chinyong Liow, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

"What drives many Indonesians to be antisemitic when they live a world away from Israel and have never met any Jews? Why do Indonesian Muslims tend to be more antisemitic than Indonesian Christians? And how and why have some Indonesian leading Muslim leaders and scholars, such as the late Abdurrahman Wahid and Nurcholish Madjid, managed to develop a 'philosemitism'? In this study drawing on texts, surveys, and empirical research, Dr. Sumanto Al Qurtuby tackles these difficult but important questions, which have worldwide resonance, with admirable care and respect."
- Dr. Richard McCallum, Director, Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies Oxford, UK

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9819247306
• ISBN13: 9789819247301
• Release Date: February 2027
• Publisher: Springer
• Length: 214 Pages