Are there Israeli dates in Indonesia?

MUI appealed to all people not to buy products affiliated with Israel, including dates.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

The sale of dates at the Alghaizan Hajj and Umrah souvenir shop in Tanah Abang, Jakarta, on Friday (15/3/2024). Some traders claimed that date sales during the beginning of the fasting month had increased by up to 50 percent compared to regular days.

Ramadan is a month that is synonymous with dates. In Islamic teachings, it is sunnah to consume this typical Middle Eastern fruit when breaking the fast. However, at the start of Ramadan, dates have become quite an important concern regarding the prohibition on consuming Israeli dates. So are there Israeli dates on the Indonesian market?

At the beginning of this year's fasting month, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) called on all Indonesian citizens to not buy products affiliated with Israel, including dates. The Chairman of the MUI's Division of Foreign Relations and International Cooperation, Sudarnoto, stated that dates produced in Israel are considered forbidden.

This appeal is stated in MUI Fatwa Number 83 of 2023 concerning the Law on Support for Palestine. By boycotting Israeli products, people can participate in weakening Israel's strength. The hope is that Israel will stop its aggression in Gaza, Palestine.

Regarding the ban on consumption of Israeli products, especially dates, the Central Statistics Agency ensures that no imported dates from Israel will enter Indonesia. Acting Head of BPS Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti said that BPS had confirmed to Customs and Excise and related parties regarding the ban on Israeli dates entering Indonesia. Amalia said: “There are no imports of dates from Israel. Nothing at all,"(Kompas.id, March 16 2024).

Referring to the BPS report regarding "National Import Export Data" you can trace the flow of goods transactions in and out of Indonesia. By entering data aggregation based on the HS code (Harmonized System) you will see detailed data regarding products that traffic in Indonesia's international trade. By entering the HS code "08041000" obtained from the Custom Database, reports of fresh or dried date palm commodities entering Indonesia will appear.

Don't worry, guaranteed there will be no Israeli dates in Jakarta

In the BPS report, at least until March 2024, there seems to be no imported date palm commodities coming from Israel. Dates in the Indonesian market are supplied from Algeria, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States (US).

For the time being, the amount of dates imported by Indonesia from all those countries reached 7,400 tons worth 13.66 million US dollars or around 205 billion rupiah. This amount is still far from the value of Indonesia's date commodity imports which have averaged more than 80 million US dollars or around 1.2 trillion rupiah over the past two years to bring in more than 50 thousand tons of dates per year.

Regarding the import of dates from Israel, there have been no reports of the commodity entering the national market since 2023 until now. Israeli dates were recorded to have entered Indonesia at least in 2022. However, the amount was relatively very small, around 135 kilograms with an estimated import value of $450 or only about IDR 6.7 million. This Israeli date import data is also recorded in the previous year's report with a significantly lower number, only 2 kilograms worth $18 or around IDR 270,000.

The small value of imports in 2021 and 2022 indicates that direct business transactions of dates with Israel are very minimal. It is possible that the reported imports of dates from Israel are not directly transacted with sellers from Israel. Instead, it could be a trade transaction in a certain country that ultimately also sends Israeli dates to Indonesia. This could happen due to unintentional reasons or due to specific demand for Israeli commodities requested by Indonesian importers.

Global marketing of dates

Based on data from oec.world, it appears that the global date trade system in 2022 will reach 2.07 billion US dollars or around Rp. 31 trillion. Of the 140 exporting countries, there are at least 7 countries with the largest export value of date palm commodities in the world. In sequence, the 7 countries are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Tunisia, Israel, Iran, Algeria and Iraq. These seven countries each have a date export value of more than 100 million US dollars or more than IDR 1.5 trillion. In fact, the export value of Saudi Arabian dates is more than 330 million US dollars or around IDR 5 trillion.

The high value of date exports in the Middle East region is closely related to the topography of the region which is suitable for growing date palms. Therefore, date production in the area is very abundant, enabling it to be exported abroad.

Also read: Ahead of Ramadan, Tanah Abang Date Traders Make Profits

All dates commodities produced by various countries in the world are absorbed by the global market. There are several countries that have very high international demand. This can be seen from the amount of import value spent to bring in the commodity.

Based on data from oec.world in 2022, there are at least 10 countries that have the largest value of date imports globally. In sequence, the 10 countries are India, Morocco, UAE, France, Kuwait, USA, Indonesia, Germany, UK and Turkey. These 10 countries on average import more than 60 million US dollars or around IDR 1 trillion in dates a year. In fact, countries such as India and Morocco have imports of more than 200 million US dollars or more than IDR 3 trillion.

An interesting aspect of global commerce is the interconnectivity between nations in their efforts to gain significant profits. Some countries import dates from abroad and then export that commodity to other countries.

Such a thing is common in the context of trade to fulfill consumer demand. If production in a particular country is limited, then producers in that country request product shipments from other countries to increase domestic stock. If the stock is sufficient and abundant, then the commodity can be pushed to consumers in other countries.

Also read: Countries that produce sweet dates

Regarding the trade of Israeli and Indonesian dates, these two countries do not interact directly in transactions. However, there is a possibility of importing from a country that contains some dates commodities from Israel. For example, Indonesia imports dates from the USA, India, Palestine, and Turkey, coincidentally, all four of these countries have direct import transactions of dates from Israel. Thus, Indonesian consumers can indirectly purchase date products from Israel.

The possibility is very likely to happen, considering Israel is one of the largest date exporters in the world. In 2022, it ranked 4th globally in terms of transaction value, reaching up to 225 million US dollars. Most of Israel's dates are exported to Europe and the United States, including Palestine, which is currently in conflict with Israel.

Next, for Indonesia, the majority of date imports come directly from several Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Palestine, Libya, and Jordan. Indonesia also imports dates from the US, Turkey, and India.

Indonesia's import pattern for 2022 will largely be repeated in 2023 and 2024. Therefore, there is a possibility that imported commodities from certain countries may contain some dates from Israel. Especially those imported from countries that have direct international trade with Israel such as the United States, Turkey, India, and Palestine.

Also read: Tips for choosing the best dates, the fewer wrinkles the fresher they are

If that does indeed happen, it is not due to intentional factors. Indonesia's trade practices still refer directly to its trading partners, not to countries that are exempt, such as Israel.

There was no intention on the part of the importer to bring Israeli dates to Indonesia. The form of the call for a boycott of all Israeli products issued by the MUI is more of an action to reduce the income of the state of Israel which is currently in conflict with Palestine. The hope is that by boycotting all Israeli products, the war between Israel and Palestine can soon subside along with the decline in sources of state income that serve as ammunition for war. (R&D COMPAS)