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View all search resultsAnalysis: Indonesia-Israel ties not in the cards for now
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President Prabowo Subianto (on stage, second left) applauds as United States President Donald Trump (on stage, eighth right) address the summit on Gaza peace process in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Oct. 13, 2025. (Handout/Courtesy of Presidential Secretariat)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto may have raised Indonesia’s diplomatic profile in the Middle East, but going by public sentiments, opening diplomatic ties with Israel is not in the cards. The war in Gaza has made that prospect even more remote.
One recent example of this came when the government canceled Israel’s participation at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta on Oct. 19–25 due to public pressure. Indonesia would not issue visas for the six qualified Israeli athletes.
The protests had initially come from Islamic groups, but Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung lent his weight when he said the city would not host or welcome Israeli athletes. This left the government with no choice but to reject their visa applications.
Although the two countries have no diplomatic ties, Indonesia in the past has issued visas for Israeli visitors, including tourists and business people, under certain conditions and for a huge fee. Conversely, before the Gaza war began in October 2023, up to 50,000 Indonesians traveled to Israel each year, mostly for pilgrimages to Christian and Islamic holy sites.
Indonesia was spared from embarrassment or incurring a penalty for rejecting the Israeli athletes. The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, rejected Israel’s appeals for its athletes to be allowed to compete in Jakarta, or alternatively to cancel the event or move it out of Jakarta.
The situation in Gaza may have explained why CAS ruled in Indonesia’s favor, but Indonesia cannot count on luck next time it is hosting international competitions in which Israel is participating. In 2023, Indonesia was stripped of its right to host the U-20 World Cup football tournament by FIFA, the world soccer governing body, after it refused entry to the Israeli team.
Indonesia is currently bidding to host the Olympics in 2036. Hardening public sentiments against Israel’s participation in any sports events held in Indonesia will likely jeopardize the country’s chances of winning the bid.
