Several politicians from the House of Representatives have called on government officials and organizers of an international trade fair to explain how an Israeli product reportedly was exhibited at the event, which concluded Saturday.
“We need to talk to the organizers and Industry Ministry officials about this matter,” Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) parliamentarian Soeripto said on the weekend.
Soeripto and six other legislators — Al Muzzamil Yusuf of the Muslim-based PKS, Abdillah Toha and Azlaini Agus from the National Mandate Party, Joeslin Nasution from the Golkar Party, Nursjahbani Katjasungkana from the National Awakening Party and Ahmad Fauzi from the Democratic Party — protested the display of the Israeli item, a product labeled Shaviv. It was allegedly displayed by Indonesian distribution company PT Yakin Maju Sentosa during the Dec. 3-6 exhibition at the Jakarta Fair Ground.
“We are protesting on behalf of our brothers in Palestine, who are still under Israel’s colonial rule,” Soeripto said.
He said lawmakers would determine whether or not trade had occurred between Indonesia and the Israeli company.
“If trade has been established, we want to know why and for how long, because Indonesia has no diplomatic or trade relations with Israel,” he said.
The event organizer and an official from the Industry Ministry denied the presence of any Israeli product at the expo.
“No, it is not true. There was no Israeli company or product in the exhibition. We take precautions on such issues,” said Astied Julias, the sales and marketing director of PT Pamerindo Buana Abadi, which organized the event.
The Director General of metal, machinery, textiles and miscellaneous industry at the Industry Ministry, Ansari Buchari, said he clarified the issue with the exhibition organizers and concluded there were no Israeli products at the fair.
But Soeripto insisted on double-checking because “our sources are quite reliable”.
Although Indonesia has never established formal ties with Israel, there has been frequent contact between NGOs and citizens of the two nations.
Former president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid is a long-time member of Tel Aviv-based Simon Peres Peace Institute and once tried initiating diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In late June this year, a delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, led by chairman Mohamad Suleman Hidayat, made an unprecedented visit to Israel seeking closer business ties and assistance for Indonesia’s economy.
Early in November, Indonesian delegates, including a Muhammadiyah official, signed a US$200,000 medical cooperation agreement in Tel Aviv with Israel’s national emergency medical service Magen David Adom (MDA) and the American-Israel Joint Distribution Committee.
