Indonesian Ulama Council calls on government to protect consumers from Israeli products
JAKARTA: Indonesia's Ulama Council on Tuesday called on the government to protect consumers from products with links to Israel, as imports have increased despite the lack of diplomatic relations between Jakarta and Tel Aviv.
Indonesia has been one of the most vocal in calling for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestine and an end to international military support and arms sales to Tel Aviv, particularly since the start of Israel's deadly invasion of Gaza.
Campaigns calling for boycotts of companies with direct or suspected links to Israeli institutions are also a regular occurrence in the country, where many people see a Palestinian state as constitutionally mandated.
Against this backdrop, many were shocked when the latest data from the country's Central Statistics Agency showed increasing economic ties with Israel, with imports to Indonesia totaling over $35 million between January and May.
Although this amount is not significant compared to Indonesia's total trade volume, it is almost four times higher than the $8.85 million recorded in the same period in 2023 and surpasses last year's total of $21.9 million. The official data also showed that exports from Indonesia to Israel had reached more than $66 million by May.
The growing volume of trade made national headlines earlier this month and led to calls for the government to take action.
While the Foreign Ministry refused to comment on trade issues and the Trade Ministry did not answer questions about trade relations with Israel, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country's highest religious body, said trade relations “must be ended.”
MUI's Head of External Relations Dr. Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim told Arab News that the government must protect Indonesian consumers within the framework of existing laws.
“We have the Consumer Protection Law, so the government should abide by it to protect consumers from Israeli products, no matter what they are,” he said.
A few weeks after the Israeli invasion began, the MUI issued a fatwa, a religious decree, banning Indonesian Muslims from purchasing products with links to Israel.
“Every trade certainly brings profits, and no matter what the value of our imports from Israel, there are of course profits involved. This financial gain could potentially play an important role in financing Israel's most important programs,” Hakim said. “Since Israel's current main agenda is to destroy Palestine, we should not support that.”
Official estimates say that over 39,000 Palestinian citizens have been killed by Israel's ground and air strikes in the Gaza Strip over the past nine months. However, a study published earlier this month in the journal Lancet suggests that the actual death toll could be over 186,000.
“The existence of trade relations, especially their growth, gives Israel the opportunity to try other channels for relations with Indonesia, and this is dangerous. It will weaken Indonesia's fighting spirit in defending Palestine.”
Members of Indonesian civil society also called on the government to end trade relations with Israel.
“For me, this is a hypocritical double standard. On the one hand, the government condemns the Zionist genocide and pushes for a ceasefire, but on the other hand, it continues trade relations,” Muhammad Anshorullah of the Jakarta-based Aqsa Working Group told Arab News.
“I call on the government to also take decisive steps and break off trade relations with Zionist Israel.”
Cecep Jasim, who coordinated a march of thousands of people to Gaza in West Java last November, said trade relations with Israel contradicted Indonesia's stance toward Palestine.
“We demand an end to all trade activities with Israel… The government must firmly reject any kind of relations with Zionist Israel so that it does not appear that Indonesia has a foot in both camps for self-interest,” he said.
The Indonesian branch of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which calls for economic and trade pressure against Israel, also protested against trade relations between Indonesia and Israel.
“BDS opposes Indonesia's trade relations with Israel in all their forms, that is clear. We call on the Ministry of Trade to put an end to them… As for the growing volume, this is extremely regrettable, especially as it is happening in the midst of an ongoing genocide. Such growth should not take place and must be corrected,” Muhammad Syauqi Hafiz, head of BDS Indonesia, told Arab News.
“Indonesia should not be satisfied with its current stance, it is not enough. There must be more, a political escalation to also try to stop Israel, and not just defend Palestine. That is how it should be if Indonesia is serious about its commitments.”
Media Wahyu Askar, director of public policy at the Center for Economic and Legal Studies, said Indonesia is not dependent on Israeli products and can find substitutes in other countries.
“The government should seriously consider calling for boycotts on products linked to Israel and even products from Israel, because such calls for boycotts are an extremely effective way to pressure the private sector to stop cooperating with Israel,” he told Arab News, adding that it “would not have any significant negative impact on the Indonesian economy.”
Indonesia's imports amounted to about $91 billion between January and May 2024, meaning that imports from Israel – most of which came through third countries – accounted for less than 0.05 percent.
But for Israel, Indonesia has “strategic value,” Askar said.
“In the coming years, Israel is expected to continue to find ways to influence Indonesia's political economy and normalize trade relations to gain global influence,” he said.
