Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday that Israel’s participation in the Under-20 football World Cup would bring no change to its foreign policy after the tournament’s draw was canceled following protests against the Israeli team’s presence in the country.
Widodo underlined Indonesia’s support for Palestine and a two-state solution, adding that Israel’s qualification was secured long after his country won hosting rights.
“I hereby guarantee Israel’s participation has nothing to do with the consistency of our foreign policy position towards Palestine because our support for Palestine is always strong and sturdy,” he said in a live-streamed address on Tuesday.
“Do not mix matters of sports and politics,” he added.
The two countries do not have formal diplomatic ties, and support for the Palestinian cause in the world’s most populous Muslim nation runs high.
Protesters have recently held marches demanding ‘Israel’ be stopped from competing in the 24-team event from May 20 to June 11.
The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) on Sunday said this week’s draw for the tournament had been canceled after the governor of the holiday island of Bali refused to host Israel’s team.
Indonesian officials said a rejection from Bali’s governor to hosting ‘Israel’ on the Hindu-majority island and call for it to be thrown out of the cup because of its policies towards the Palestinians was likely behind the draw’s cancellation.
About a hundred Muslim demonstrators also marched in the capital Jakarta this month to protest Israel’s involvement.
A FIFA spokesperson said inspections of the tournament venues had concluded but did not comment on the PSSI chairman’s meeting or when a draw could be held.
Widodo’s intervention came as fears grew that Indonesia could face sanctions and isolation on the global football stage if it could not guarantee Israel’s participation.
Indonesia was suspended from FIFA for a year until May 2016 due to government interference.
Muhadjir Effendy, the acting sport minister, late on Tuesday said a solution must be found and that hosting the tournament was crucial for Indonesian football.
“There are still possibilities,” he said. “FIFA is very appreciative, understanding of what’s happening in Indonesia.”
The U-20 tournament would represent the first major football competition hosted by the Southeast Asian archipelago nation.
The country would also be holding the tournament under the cloud of one of the worst stadium disasters in the sport’s history after 135 people died in an East Java stadium stampede in October.
The Associated Press reported that if the local authorities fail to resolve the hosting issues over ‘Israel’, Indonesia risks being suspended by FIFA and could miss the Asian qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup, which will begin this October.
Indonesia’s opposition to ‘Israel’ has disrupted international sports for both countries in the past. Indonesia was one of three Muslim-majority countries that dropped out of qualifiers for the 1958 World Cup rather than play against Israeli teams, allowing ‘Israel’ to win the Africa and Asia group qualifying rounds without setting foot on the field.
In 1962, ‘Israel’ withdrew from the Asian Games after Indonesia, as host, refused to issue visas to Israeli participants.
