World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Israel says ‘dangerous precedent’ set by Indonesia’s decision to deny visas to athletes

Indonesia cited its well-established political and diplomatic principles in its decision.

Youth and Sports Minister Eric Tohir said: “We are aware of the Israeli Gymnastics Federation’s plan to file a petition with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We anticipate the lawsuit and will face it respectfully, while following the applicable rules and regulations of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Indonesia.”

The decision came from Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, who refused to recognize Israel as a state.

This stance has shaped Indonesia’s diplomatic stance for decades.

During the 1962 Asian Games, Indonesia similarly banned Israeli athletes – leading to its exclusion from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by the International Olympic Committee.

Although this ruling was overturned, Indonesia boycotted the Games.

In March 2023, Indonesia was stripped of its right to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup after the governor of Bali, where the draw was scheduled to take place, refused to host the Israeli team.

Six months later, Israel launched its offensive in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken to Gaza.

Since then, more than 67,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. Its numbers are considered reliable by the United Nations and other international bodies.

More than nine out of 10 residential buildings were damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.

Last month, the UN Commission of Inquiry officially declared that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza – although Israel rejected this.

On Monday, 20 surviving Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian detainees were reunited with their families as part of a ceasefire agreement.

Shinar said Indonesia’s decision to deny visas to Israeli athletes was “sad timing” given the events of the previous day.

She added that “sports and politics should never intersect” as she pointed the finger at IGF, given that the IGF had raised the issue with them over a year ago.

She added: “We hoped to reach a diplomatic solution before the legal solution.”

“they [FIG] He sent us a letter telling us that everything was under control, and that the authorities there had given an official letter that there would be no problem.

“There is no doubt who is responsible for this mess in our eyes – the International Federation of Sport, which is part of the International Olympic Committee.

“They must adhere to all the rules and not ignore the Olympic Charter.”

In September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for Israel’s exclusion from international sporting competitions due to its actions in Gaza.

There have also been widespread calls for the country’s teams to be banned from football competitions by UEFA.

This year’s Vuelta a Espana cycling race, in which the Israel-Premier Tech team competed, was severely disrupted by pro-Palestine protesters.