Indonesia | Clerics want boycott of US products over Jerusalem

Muslim clerics called for a boycott of American products yesterday in Indonesia’s largest protest against President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Wearing white robes and carrying banners reading “Indonesia unites for Palestine” and “Save our Palestine,” an estimated 80,000 people rallied in the capital of the world’s largest Muslim nation in the 10th straight day of protests.

Anwar Abbas, a top cleric from the Indonesian Council of Ulema, read a petition calling on Indonesians to stop buying American products until Trump revoked his move.

“Don’t rely on their products,” he said, as the crowd including men, women and children responded by waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags and shouting “boycott!”

In the petition, the clerics urged Trump to immediately revoke his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital because it has hurt international justice, violated human rights of the Palestinians and undermined peace efforts.

It also demanded nations not follow the U.S. in moving their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and urged the U.N. Security Council to hold an emergency session to discuss Trump’s declaration.

The chairman of the clerics council, Ma’ruf Amin, said “let’s fight together with the government and the world for the freedom of Palestine through political, diplomatic and economic ways.”

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has strongly condemned Trump’s move as a violation of U.N. resolutions. Indonesia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and has long been a strong supporter of Palestinian aspirations for a statehood. MDT/AP