For casual observers of Indonesian politics, the statement made by the Bali governor may seem strangely out of place: Bali is a predominantly Hindu province and is certainly not the traditional base for conservative Muslims, many of whom are opposed to the state of Israel for both ideological and religious reasons.

The governor is also a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the nation’s largest party and which has long been seen as one of the most “liberal” parties in Indonesia for its tough stance against sectarian politics. However, Koster is not an outlier among the PDI-P’s ranks. Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, a potential presidential candidate from the PDI-P, also made similar calls. 

Thus, while anti-Israel rallies by Islamist groups are not uncommon on the streets of Jakarta, usually held following violent incidents against Palestinians in the Middle East, it may appear odd that the strongest, if not the most consequential, opposition to hosting the Israeli team at the U-20 did not come from Islamists, but from their nationalist rivals.

So why did the PDI-P want Israel out of the U-20? 

Read also: FIFA removes Indonesia as host of U-20

Sukarno’s legacy

The first, and also the official reason, why the PDI-P is strongly opposed to the presence of the Israeli team on Indonesian soil has to do with the party’s “Marhaenist” ideology, which was largely formulated by Sukarno, one of Indonesia’s founding fathers and who was also the father of the PDI-P’s powerful leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), the ideological precursor of the PDI-P, before he became the first Indonesian president. He coined the term Marhaenism to describe his political ideology, which was a concoction of elements of Marxism, nationalism and Islamism, also known as Nasakom.

As a neologist, Sukarno organized his ideology through political themes such as Nekolim (neocolonialism and imperialism), the object of his criticism in many of his fiery speeches. His opposition to Nekolim is the reason why Sukarno was against the establishment of Israel, for the country was then seen as a representation of Western neo-colonialism.

Sukarno, one of the most outspoken critics of Western imperialism in the post-colonial world, attempted to rally support among members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), including several Arab countries, through his disapproval of Israel.

In 1958, then-president Sukarno ordered the Indonesian team to withdraw from a qualification match with Israel for the World Cup in Sweden, citing the nation’s solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The PDI-P’s secretary-general, Hasto Kristiyanto, had made the party’s stance about Israel’s participation in U-20 clear to the government since August 2022, citing concerns that admitting Israel would compromise the party’s ideological principles. 

“This is not about religion, this is about independence as the right of all nations,” he told a CNN Indonesia talk show on Tuesday.

The PDI-P members, including Koster and Ganjar, had “ideological” and “historical” awareness about Palestine, he said.

“This is even more clear after looking at various documents from the Asia-Africa Conference that supported the independence of Palestine.”

Read also: PDI-P criticizes FIFA ‘double standard’ on Russia, Israel

The upcoming elections

Another reason why the PDI-P chose to put President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his senior

ministers in such a difficult position might have to do with the realignment of oligarchic factions within the ruling coalition ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

As the nation’s largest party and a clear frontrunner in many election surveys, the PDI-P will play a critical role in shaping the outcome of the upcoming election. The party has been under pressure to endorse Ganjar for 2024, but Megawati reportedly has had reservations about giving the presidential post to the silverhaired politician.

It is said that Megawati has doubts about Ganjar’s loyalty to the party, considering her complicated relationship with Jokowi, another PDI-P member. In a recent speech, Megawati reminded Jokowi, who has consolidated his power by forging alliances with other powerful figures in Indonesian politics and businesses, that he is “an officer of the party”.

Speculation is rife that Megawati was testing the loyalty of not just Ganjar, but also other potential election contenders, including State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, whose popularity as a potential vice-presidential candidate soared after being elected chairman of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) in February. 

FIFA’s revocation of Indonesia’s hosting rights for the U-20 has not only embarrassed the Jokowi government and made sanctions from the world soccer governing body more likely, it has upset millions of local soccer fans who could not care less about global politics.

The fallout might not only mar Jokowi’s image but also undermine the electability of Ganjar and Erick.

While Ganjar toed the party line over the U-20 issue, Jokowi clearly broke ranks with his party by insisting that Indonesia should hold the U-20 regardless of the domestic controversy.

“I can assure you that Israel’s participation [will not change] our foreign policy stance toward Palestine, since our support for Palestine has always been solid and strong,” the President said.

“But concerning the U-20 World Cup, [the government] agrees with the Palestinian ambassador to Indonesia, that FIFA has its rules, which its members must obey. So don’t mix up sports and politics.”

Erick, who has been tapped as a potential running mate for Ganjar, failed on Wednesday to lobby FIFA to keep the U-20 competition in Indonesia.

Analysts have also suggested the party might have been trying to preempt potential attacks from the Islamist opposition who would consider using the U-20 controversy to attack the party.

Read also: Bali governor says he's not to blame for U-20 U-turn

Security threat

The PDI-P also cited potential terror attacks as one of the reasons for its opposition to the participation of Israel in the U-20, particularly in Bali.

“There is less than zero tolerance of any potential security threat,” Hasto told CNN Indonesia.

While it is hard to downplay the security threat posed by the global soccer event, the antiterror operations launched by the police in recent years are believed to have weakened local terrorist cells.

Last year, the government successfully held the high-profile Group of 20 Summit in Bali without any serious security incidents. (ahw)