Indonesian palm oil is still going to Israel. This week, new reports showed that thousands of tonnes are shipped there every year, even during the genocide in Gaza.

The numbers come from Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture and its national statistics agency, Statistics Indonesia (BPS). Indonesia sent about 29,600 tonnes of palm oil products to Israel in 2023, about 22,400 tonnes in 2024 and about 19,500 tonnes in 2025. From January to August this year, another 10,400 tonnes went there, together with almost 4,900 tonnes of coconut products. In those eight months, the two products were worth about $20.8 million.

Two economists from Widyatama University in Bandung found that from 2020 to 2025, Indonesia supplied on average 71 per cent of the crude palm oil that Israel bought from other countries. Other reports say that in some years the share reached 88 per cent. The products include palm olein, palm kernel oil and glycerine. Some shipments may go through Singapore or Hong Kong first.

The amounts have gone down since 2023. But the trade has not stopped.

Palm oil is one of Indonesia’s biggest exports. It is used in cooking oil, soap, snacks and many other products. Indonesia has no official relations with Israel. It does not recognise Israel because........

© Middle East Monitor