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Indonesia has denied visas to Israeli gymnasts, costing them a spot successful a satellite title successful Jakarta this month, a sports authoritative successful the Southeast Asian federation said connected Friday (October 10, 2025), amid outcry implicit Israel's subject violative successful Gaza.
The Israeli squad was acceptable to enactment successful the World Artistic Gymnastics title from October 19 to 25 successful Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, which has nary ceremonial diplomatic ties with Israel.
"They are confirmed to not beryllium attending," Ita Juliati, the main of the Indonesian gymnastics federation, told reporters.
The Israel Gymnastics Federation did not instantly respond to an emailed petition for comment.
Indonesia decided not to contented visas to the Israeli athletes, elder Legal Affairs Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said, citing objections from groups specified arsenic a assembly of Islamic clerics and the authorities successful Jakarta, the capital.
The determination is successful enactment with Indonesia's argumentation of having nary ties with Israel until it recognises "the independency and afloat sovereignty of the authorities of Palestine", Yusril added successful a connection connected Friday.
The astir caller Israeli run successful Gaza, which began successful October 2023 implicit an onslaught by Hamas and has killed much than 67,000 Palestinians, according to wellness authorities successful the enclave, has drawn disapproval from Indonesia.
Israel launched the battle aft Hamas-led militants stormed done Israeli towns and a euphony festival, sidesplitting 1,200 radical and capturing 251 hostages.
A caller Instagram station from the Indonesian gymnastics federation drew hundreds of pro-Palestinian comments from home users, days aft an Israeli relation said it would be the Jakarta event.
Under the authorities of President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia has softened its Israel stance slightly.
The satellite indispensable person an autarkic Palestine, but besides recognise and warrant the information and information of Israel, Prabowo told past month's league of the United Nations General Assembly.
It is not the archetypal sports-related quality betwixt the 2 countries.
In March 2023, FIFA dropped Indonesia arsenic big of the Under-20 World Cup, citing nonaccomplishment to honour its commitments, aft a determination politician refused to big the Israeli team.
Last month, UN experts called for FIFA and the Union of European Football to suspend Israel arsenic a state squad from planetary football, arsenic "a indispensable effect to code the ongoing genocide successful the occupied Palestinian territory".
Israel has dismissed accusations of genocide.
