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Bali governor refuses to host Israel soccer team for upcoming FIFA U-20 Cup
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The Si Jalak Harupat soccer stadium in Soreang, Bandung regency, West Java, is among the stadiums that will host fixtures of the FIFA U-20 World Cup that is slated to be held in nine cities across Indonesia in 2023. (Antaranews/Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi)
B
ali Governor Wayan Koster requested Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali to ban the Israeli soccer team from participating in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Bali, saying it was “out of respect” for Indonesia’s diplomatic stance on the Palestine issue.
The longstanding conflict between Palestine and Israel was “a serious regional problem”, Koster said in a letter he sent to Amali recently.
“[There is no] diplomatic relationship between the Indonesian government and the Israeli government. [...] We request the Minister adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali,” Wayan wrote in the letter, dated on March 14, which went viral on Monday. He also sent copies of the letter to the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and the Coordinating Human Development Ministry.
The upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup is scheduled for May 20 to June 11 this year in six provinces across Indonesia: Bali, Jakarta, South Sumatra, West Java, Central Java and East Java. It has seen much resistance, mainly from Muslim groups rejecting the Israeli team from competing, with hundreds of people staging a rally in Central Jakarta just on Monday.
Israel is qualified for the competition, following last year’s U-19 EURO Cup in Slovakia. Indonesia, the host of this year’s U-20 World Cup, on the other hand, has been a strong proponent of Palestine for decades.
The Foreign Ministry earlier this month told reporters the soccer match would not, by any means, “change Indonesia’s stance on the Palestine conflict”, while Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD gave his reassurance the government had done the political and diplomatic preparatory work for the arrival of the Israeli team.
PSSI chairman Erick Thohir said Indonesia would guarantee the security of the Israeli soccer team as it was Indonesia’s responsibility as host of the event.
