by Aryeh Savir
A delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN) arrived in Israel and met over the weekend with senior officials of the Israeli Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan.
The seven representatives from the largest Muslim country in the world were led by Naor Morag of the Information and Business Intelligence Unit at the Israeli Export Institute.
The delegation, businessmen and officials of the Indonesian Trade Organization, was headed by Mufti Hamka Hasan, vice president of the Indonesian Trade Organization who is responsible for the Middle East.
The meeting between the parties was about the exchange of knowledge and the establishment of trade relations in the diamond industry, and both sides agreed to promote cooperation.
The delegation’s visit was organized by the Export Institute and the Foreign Trade Administration of Israel’s Ministry of Economy. The businessmen from Indonesia were mainly interested in the fields of agriculture, medical tech, textile and, of course, diamonds.
Israel and Indonesia do not maintain official diplomatic ties, and Jakarta has been hostile towards Jerusalem, but delegations from the Muslim country arrive in Israel periodically for trade and the exchange of knowledge.
Yoram Dvash, president of the Israel Diamond Exchange who hosted the delegation, stated that “this visit is part of a very important trend of strengthening the ties of Muslim companies and businessmen with the State of Israel and with Israelis.”
“There is no doubt that the strength of the Israeli Diamond Exchange is a source of interest for the diamond industry in every country, and is a strong motive for countries to trade with us,” he added.
This visit follows a visit by the president of Dubai’s Diamond Exchange to Israel earlier this month, during which he attended the meeting of the presidents of the World Diamond Federation.
“We will continue to work vigorously to deepen the business ties of the Israeli diamond exchange members with new markets including the Indonesian market,” Dvash said.