Explainer: The Israel-Indonesia soccer dispute
FIFA removed Indonesia as the host for an upcoming tournament after the country expressed opposition to hosting the Israeli team, and may sanction its soccer body. Anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian sentiment is strong in Indonesia, despite the country’s distance from the Middle East.
Israel and Indonesia have been mired in a dispute over the latter’s reluctance to host an Israeli team for an upcoming soccer tournament. FIFA, soccer's world governing body, ultimately decided on Wednesday to remove Indonesia as the host of the tournament in regards to the issue.
Background: The upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup for players under 20 years old was scheduled to begin in Indonesia on May 20. The Football Association of Indonesia said on Sunday that FIFA has postponed the tournament. Earlier, the governor of the Bali region — where some of the games are to take place — had called for Israel to be banned from playing there. Islamists also protested in the capital Jakarta last week against Israel’s participation, The Associated Press reported.
Bali hosted the 2022 assembly for the Inter-Parliamentary Union in which an Israeli delegation participated.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday that Israeli participation in the tournament is unrelated to the country’s position on Palestine. He also said he instructed Erick Thohir, who heads the country's soccer association, to discuss the issue with FIFA, according to Reuters.
