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Businesses to list Israel-related products amid costly boycott
In a damage control effort following a fatwa supporting Palestine, a business association promises its own list of products that are "really" related to Israel.
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People shop at a mall in Serang, Banten, on April 9, 2023. (AFP/Dziki Oktomauliyadi)
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usinesses have expressed concern over a boycott on goods from companies perceived to support Israel, arguing the measure hurt retail sales and may jeopardize the country's economic growth target.
Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairwoman Shinta Kamdani said the boycott had wrongly targeted some local companies with no connection to Israel. To prevent that, the association would release a list of products from manufacturers that were really affiliated with the Middle Eastern country.
"We will gather accurate data, so people can know whether a company that is claimed [to be affiliated with Israel] really has a connection or not," Shinta said on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.
According to her, the list supports Fatwa No. 83/2023 from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) on supporting Palestine through a boycott of products from pro-Israel firms. The fatwa itself contains no list of brands or products that should be boycotted.
Shinta named PT Unilever Indonesia as one of the firms wrongly targeted by the boycott. The major fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturer had no affiliation with Israel, she stated, noting it was a locally registered company since 1980.
If the boycott persisted, the company may need to reduce production and cut its local workforce, she added.
"It is a pity for the consumers who do not understand, and thought that these products were affiliated with Israel and support Israel's aggression [against Palestine]. Thus, we need to know where products come from before conducting a boycott," Shinta explained.
