More than half of Indonesian Muslim students regularly boycott Israeli products, study finds
A study has found that a majority of Indonesian Muslim university students regularly participate in boycotts of Israeli-affiliated products
JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) – A new study has found that a majority of Indonesian Muslim university students regularly participate in boycotts of Israeli-affiliated products, with social media playing a central role in shaping their activism.
The research, reported by the Yusof Ishak Institute of ISEAS, surveyed 427 Muslim students aged 17 to 24 at an Islamic university in Jakarta. It found that 54.1% of respondents said they “very often” or “always” take part in boycotting Israeli products, while a further 29.27% said they do so “sometimes.” Only 12.18% reported rarely participating and 4.45% said they never take part.
Students’ motivations are shaped by a combination of humanitarian concern, religious values and political awareness. Social media plays a particularly important role: students who used online platforms to raise awareness about social and political issues were significantly more likely to engage in boycotts, while those who used social media mainly for networking or self-promotion showed no significant link to participation. Reading and sharing socio-political content online also strongly correlates with boycott involvement.
Interestingly, stronger knowledge of domestic political issues did not translate into greater engagement with global activism — respondents with higher awareness of local politics were slightly less likely to participate in boycotts. Researchers suggest this may be because formal political participation tends to focus on local concerns. By contrast, students with a broader interest in global injustices were significantly more likely to take part.
Involvement in civic, philanthropic and religious organisations also increased the likelihood of participation, while membership in political parties or campus organisations showed no strong relationship with boycott activity.
Interviews revealed that many students do not necessarily identify with formal campaigns such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, even while engaging in similar actions. Their decisions are often driven by information circulating on social media, where calls for solidarity are widely shared. Some actively promote boycotts online or join demonstrations; others simply avoid products they believe are linked to Israel.
Researchers concluded that humanitarian concern, religious values and political motivations together drive participation, and that digital platforms are increasingly enabling Indonesian students to connect everyday consumer choices with broader expressions of global solidarity.
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