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Indonesia’s Sports Minister Erick Thohir has responded to the recent global backlash and the consequences of denying visas to the Israeli national gymnastics team for the World Championships in Jakarta.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week recommended that no international sporting events be held in Indonesia, adding that it is ending any discussions with the country to host the Olympics in the future following the decision to bar Team Israel.
Thohir defended his country’s decision in a statement on Thursday.
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Indonesia’s Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir speaks at a press conference at his office in Jakarta on October 24, 2025. (Aditya Irawan/AFP)
“We adhere to the principle of maintaining security, public order and public interest in hosting any international event,” Thohir said.
During a press conference on Friday, Thohir gave a more elaborate answer.
“This is actually part of maintaining the dignity of our nation in accordance with the 1945 constitution,” he said via Indonesian outlet Detikcom. “We have to be an independent nation, but at the same time we have to be a nation that maintains global security… It’s something that’s still under discussion.”
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinians. The planned participation of Israeli athletes had sparked intense opposition in the country.
Indonesia was previously stripped of the right to host the FIFA Under-20 World Cup when the governor of Bali refused to host Team Israel in a match in 2023. In July of that year, Indonesia pulled out of hosting the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games following controversy over Israel’s participation.
Morinari Watanabe, the president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), spoke about it and addressed the issue on Saturday at the world championships.
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Team Israel competes in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Group All-Around Final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena on August 10, 2024 in Paris. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“I agree [with] the statement from the IOC,” Watanabe said. “Sport is separate from politics. All athletes have an equal right to participate in the sporting event. The IOC and FIG must protect that right. It is for the Olympic Charter that we are writing.”
Watanabe added that the FIG “deeply regrets” the lack of protection for the Israeli gymnasts, but expressed respect for the Indonesian government’s decision.
“At FIG, we deeply regret not being able to protect the rights of a country’s athletes this time. But on the other hand, with the global situation changing, how to protect participating athletes is a challenge,” he said. “We have heard from the Indonesian government that this was a measure to ensure the safety of participating athletes, including one country’s athletes, and also people in the city, Jakarta city. So the reason is not political. That’s what we hear.[ing].”
Indonesia’s sanction is just the latest example of restrictions placed on Israel’s sports teams and fans in recent months.
The Prime Minister of Israel The Tech cycling team has been banned from an upcoming race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, scheduled for October 4 due to potentially disruptive pro-Palestinian protests.
The UEFA Europa League, Europe’s biggest soccer body, was reportedly heading for a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that no action would be taken against the team on 3 October. He later reportedly met privately at FIFA headquarters with the head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, and praised his organization “for their resilience at this time,” according to The Associated Press.
Fans of Israeli teams have also been banned from recent major events.
Fans of the Israeli one Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team is banned from a Europa League match in Birmingham, England, on Nov. 6 over security concerns after the team’s fans were attacked in Amsterdam at a game against Ajax last fall.
