TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Acting chairman of Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Yukki Nugrahawan Hanafi, underlined the necessity for the government to protect business professionals from the ongoing significant movement to boycott Israeli-affiliated goods in favor of Palestine.

“The boycott has become widespread, and the government must take action to protect national interests,” Yukki said in a written statement on Thursday, November 30, 2023

He believed that the government must address the issue in order to create legal certainty and a favorable business climate by prioritizing the protection of national interests.

Kadin observed that the boycott had a detrimental impact on the business world given that these businesses operate in the country and provide employment to many local workforce. Yukki said that many people rely on the companies suspected of being affiliated with Israel for their livelihood.

As the main organization that accommodates the business world and the government's strategic partner in the economy, Kadin condemns any forms of violence and oppression occurring in various parts of the world, including what is happening in Palestine. Kadin, he added, also takes a neutral stance on current geopolitical issues and focuses on developing the business world and national economic growth.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has encouraged a boycott of products affiliated with Israel or supporting Israeli aggression in Palestine through Fatwa Number 83 of 2023.

This has resulted in various lists of potentially Israeli-affiliated products circulating on social media. However, Kadin has pointed out that MUI has never officially released such a list, raising questions about its validity.

Yukki opined that MUI is not authorized to revoke the halal certificates of those products.

Therefore, Kadin called on the public to wisely respond to the circulating information and not fall for hoaxes. “This will surely be very detrimental to the business world and affect the absorption of thousands of employees working in these companies,” Yukki said.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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