Indonesia has banned Israeli athletes from taking part in the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta later this month, state-run news agency Antara reported.
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said visas will not be issued to Israeli athletes to participate.
The tournament is set for October 19–25.
Mahendra confirmed that the decision to withhold the visas also reflected the government’s careful response to pressure from religious groups, regional administrations and political parties.
He added that the policy had been coordinated with relevant authorities, including Minister of Immigration and Correction Agus Andrianto, who revealed that a gymnastics federation sent a sponsorship letter earlier to Indonesia to support visa applications for Israeli gymnasts.
“The federation later withdrew its sponsorship letter after recognizing Indonesia’s consistent stance of rejecting visa requests from Israeli athletes,” said Mahendra.
Although the statement did not identify the federation, it indicates it was likely the International Gymnastics Federation, which is organising the upcoming world championship.
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Earlier Wednesday, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo announced that he would not allow Israeli athletes to come to the capital city.
“As the governor, I will certainly bar Israeli athletes from coming here,” he said.
Indonesia and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations, rooted in Indonesia’s support for Palestinian statehood and anti-colonial principles since independence.
Despite this, informal ties exist in trade, tourism, security and technology, often through third parties.
Public sentiment in Indonesia strongly favours Palestine, with protests against Israel, especially during the 2023 Gaza conflict.
Under President Prabowo Subianto (2024–present), Indonesia has signaled openness to normalisation, but only if Israel recognises a Palestinian state, as stated in 2025 UN and bilateral talks.
OECD membership aspirations add pressure, but domestic opposition and the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict make formal ties unlikely without a two-state solution.
