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With Palestine in mind, let’s host the U-20 World Cup
A failure to host the tournament because of the Israel factor will taint Indonesia’s reputation for tolerance and moderation as the world’s third-largest democracy and most populous Muslim-majority nation.
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Contested contestants: People rally inside the Surakarta legislative council in Central Java on March 7 to demand that the government deny the Israeli team’s entry into the FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be held in Indonesia in May and June. (Kompas.com/Fristin Intan Sulistyowati)
L
et me begin by saying that the systematic abuses of the Israeli government against millions of Palestinian people in their own homes and the United States’ persistent support for Israel’s decades of crimes are among the reasons that sections of the public, and some state officials, have rejected the participation of the Israeli national team in the upcoming U-20 FIFA World Cup in Indonesia.
But just a note: Even the Palestinian ambassador to Indonesia is willing to tolerate Israel playing in the youth tournament because of his belief in our unwavering support for Palestine.
The Indonesian people have not forgiven the inhuman policies of the Israeli government and the ultranationalist groups behind them. People around the world, regardless of their religions or nationalities, have condemned the barbaric acts.
But isn’t it immature to bar the Israeli youth team from playing in a tournament they qualified for almost a year ago?
Indonesians would lose a rare opportunity to watch the performance of future soccer stars directly. The Jakarta Post headline on Tuesday “Fear grows over potential U-20 bust” reflects concern about the possibility that Indonesia will lose its right to host the prestigious event.
“Indonesia’s license to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup is in serious jeopardy as the fallout from local protests over Israel’s participation in the youth tournament spreads internationally, with other countries ready to pounce on the opportunity should the world soccer governing body look elsewhere,” the Post wrote.
Unless President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has the guts to say the show must go on, FIFA will punish Indonesia severely because it failed to live up to its promise as host to provide security and safety to all participants, including the Israeli team.
