Indonesia VP: Boycotting US goods over its Jerusalem stance misguided
JAKARTA: Indonesia's vice president said yesterday that calls for a boycott of American goods over United States President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel were misguided - not least because of the country's reliance on technology from the US.
There have been a series of protests in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country since Mr Trump's controversial move this month to reverse decades of US policy.
At a rally of about 80,000 people on Sunday, the Indonesian Ulema Council, a body of Muslim clerics, called for a boycott of US and Israeli products if Mr Trump did not revoke his action.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla told reporters that Indonesia was trying to put pressure on Washington through the United Nations and it was not even practical to stop using American products. "Do not be emotional... Do we dare to boycott iPhones, stop using Google. Can (you) live without them?" he asked.
"(You) cannot live without them now. If you go out of the house now, you put (an iPhone) in your pocket," he said.
Mr Kalla said that even if people stopped watching American movies, other American goods such as specialised petroleum equipment were vital in oil-producing Indonesia, South-east Asia's biggest economy.
There have been a series of protests in Indonesia over the issue of Jerusalem, including some where hardliners burned US and Israeli flags. The status of Jerusalem, a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians, is one of the biggest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Asked about how to proceed after Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for the US declaration on Jerusalem to be withdrawn, Mr Kalla said that dialogue was the only solution. - REUTERS
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