After the Under-20 World Cup draw was postponed due to protests over the Israeli team’s presence in the Muslim-majority country, Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that Israel’s participation in the event will not influence its foreign policy.
The president, referred to as Jokowi, emphasised Indonesia’s support for Palestine and a two-state solution while pointing out that Israel’s qualification was established long after his nation was awarded the hosting rights.
In a speech that was livestreamed on Tuesday, he asserted, “I hereby assure that Israel’s participation has nothing to do with the constancy of our foreign policy attitude towards Palestine, because our support for Palestine is always robust and sturdy.
“Do not combine political and sporting issues.”
Although the two nations don’t have formal diplomatic ties, the majority of Muslims in the globe are strongly in favour of the Palestinian cause.
Recently, protesters marched to demand that Israel not be allowed to participate in the 24-team competition from May 20 to June 11.
The governor of the tourist island of Bali declined to host Israel’s team, according to a statement released by the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) on Sunday. As a result, this week’s tournament draw has been postponed.
According to Indonesian officials, the cancellation of the draw was probably caused by Bali’s governor, who opposed hosting Israel on the Hindu-majority island and called for its expulsion from the cup due to its policy towards the Palestinians.
This month, over 100 Muslim protesters marched in Jakarta’s capital to denounce Israel’s role.
The PSSI chairman’s meeting and the potential date of the draw were not addressed by a FIFA representative, who stated that inspections of the tournament sites had ended.
In response to growing concerns that Indonesia would be subject to fines and exclusion from the international football scene if it couldn’t ensure Israel’s participation, Widodo intervened.
Because of meddling from the government, Indonesia was expelled from FIFA for a year, until May 2016.
The country of Southeast Asia is attempting to repair its image after 135 people died in a stampede at an East Java stadium last year, many of whom were crushed as they tried to flee when police sprayed tear gas into the crowd.
The interim sport minister, Muhadjir Effendy, stated late on Tuesday that a solution must be found and that holding the competition was essential for Indonesian football.
There are still opportunities, he declared. “FIFA is extremely grateful and cognizant of what is taking place in Indonesia.”
The U-20 tournament would mark the nation’s first opportunity to organise a significant football event.
