Indonesia has denied entry visas to a team of Israeli gymnasts due to compete in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Jakarta this month, effectively excluding them from the competition. The move comes amid heightened criticism of Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza.
The championship is scheduled to take place from 19 to 25 October in the Indonesian capital. However, the Israeli athletes will not be participating, confirmed Ita Juliati, head of the Indonesian gymnastics federation.
“They are confirmed to not be attending,” she told reporters on Friday.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The decision to deny visas was based on objections from religious and political groups, including the national council of Islamic clerics and the Indonesian government, according to Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the country’s senior legal affairs minister.
He stated that the refusal aligns with Indonesia’s longstanding foreign policy of withholding ties with Israel until it recognises “the independence and full sovereignty of the state of Palestine.”
Tensions surrounding the Gaza conflict have been particularly high in Indonesia, where public support for Palestinians is strong. The ongoing Israeli military campaign, which began in October 2023 following a Hamas-led attack, has reportedly resulted in more than 67,000 Palestinian deaths, according to health authorities in Gaza. The initial attack by Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 hostages taken.
In recent days, a post on Instagram by the Indonesian gymnastics federation received hundreds of comments from users expressing pro-Palestinian sentiments, after it was reported that an Israeli team would attend the Jakarta event.
Although Indonesia has historically opposed Israeli participation in national events, recent remarks by President Prabowo Subianto have indicated a slightly softened stance. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly last month, Prabowo said that while Indonesia remains committed to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, the international community must also “recognise and guarantee the safety and security of Israel.”
This is not the first time sport has brought the two countries into conflict. In March 2023, FIFA stripped Indonesia of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup after a regional governor refused to allow an Israeli team to play.
Last month, UN experts called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international football, describing it as a “necessary response to address the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
