"After all, Israel is accustomed to justifying the use of inhumane means to achieve its goals."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A legislator has strongly criticized the importation of dates and shantang oranges fruits from Israel, saying the income from such trade aids Israel`s continued occupation of Palestine.
"We strongly reject any sort of cooperation with Israel, which has occupied Palestine for decades," said Almuzzammil Yusuf, the deputy chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) of the House of Representatives (DPR), here on Thursday.
If Israel`s agricultural products continued to find good markets across the world, the Jewish country would aggressively expand its occupation of Palestine territory in order to control more agricultural land, he added.
"The chances of Israel trying to occupy more Palestinian territory will rise, which increase the sufferings of the Palestinian people," Almuzzammil said.
"After all, Israel is accustomed to justifying the use of inhumane means to achieve its goals," the legislator stated.
He pointed out that Indonesia did not need to import dates and shantang oranges from Israel, when it could easily import the products from other countries with which it had diplomatic ties.
"Why should it be from Israel? We have many countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and others that are producing dates," Almuzzammil said.
He added that the government should be sensitive to the feelings of Muslims, particularly the Palestinian people, whose food supply had been blocked by Israel.
"We have to show our solidarity to the Palestinian people," Almuzzammil stated.
However, he also praised the Indonesian government for supporting Palestinian independence at international forums.
According to Central Bureau of Statistics data, of the nine types of imported fruits that Indonesians like, two come from Israel.***2***
(A014/INE/H-YH)
(T.A014/A/KR-BSR/B/H-YH) 09-08-2012 17:28:53
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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