Here's Prabowo's Answer Asked About The Boycott Of Israeli Products

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto left the location of the Geopolitical & Geostrategic Symposium and Influence on Indonesia in 2023 at the Office of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, Jakarta, Thursday (2/11/2023). (ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi.)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Minister of Defense (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto when asked about his attitude regarding the Israeli boycott movement as a form of solidarity with Palestine emphasized that the attitude of the Indonesian government consistently supports the independence struggle of the Palestinian people.

"Our struggle is clear, the President has spoken about our struggle, so we will also think about our interests and needs," Prabowo said when asked for his response to the boycott in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Saturday, November 4.

The boycott, divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has emerged since 2005 as a form of protest against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people, as well as a form of solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle for independence, and the movement is currently being echoed by many citizens of the world, including in Indonesia, especially after Israel hit Gaza since last month.

The Boycott, divestment and Sanctions movement invites the public and demands the government and the business world to cut trade relations, attract investment, and impose economic sanctions on mainly Israeli companies.

In Indonesia, the BDS Movement also invites people with solidarity to do these things, considering that Indonesia still has trade relations with Israel even though there is no diplomatic relationship between the two.

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that Indonesia's import value from Israel from January 2023 to September 2023 reached 14.4 million US dollars or approximately IDR 226 billion.

Some of the commodities imported by Indonesia from Israel include mechanical equipment machines and their parts (HS 84 code), tools and equipment from non-precious metals (HS 82), electric equipment machines and their parts (HS 85).

Indonesia has so far used several technology made by Israeli companies, including unmanned aircraft (UAV) Aerostar, Apache Aviator Integrator Helmet which is used for AH-64E Apache helicopter pilots, and Cellebrite cyberware technology.

Apart from that, related to the struggle of the Palestinian people for independence including in the war in Gaza, Indonesia consistently supports Palestine.

"I want to reiterate that Indonesia will continue with the struggle of the Palestinians," said Indonesian President Joko Widodo when releasing aid packages from the Indonesian government to Gaza at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base Base (Lanud), Jakarta, Friday.