Advertisement
Why some Indonesians want to give Israel the boot from Fifa’s U20 World Cup
- Israel’s participation at the Fifa U20 World Cup has stirred up controversy in Indonesia, which has positioned itself as a defender of Palestinians for decades
- One football observer said that Indonesia must either accept Israel’s presence at the tournament or give up hosting duties
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
4
Indonesia’s plan to leverage its hosting of the Fifa Under-20 World Cup to repair its reputation in the sporting world following a stadium disaster last year is being marred by an ongoing controversy over Israel’s participation in the tournament.
Advertisement
As a runner-up in the 2022 European U19 Championship, Israel was granted a place in the 24-nation U20 World Cup. That has stirred controversy in Indonesia, which has positioned itself as a staunch defender of Palestinians for decades.
The U20 World Cup is scheduled from May 20 to June 11, but the draw for the tournament will take place next week on the resort island of Bali.
The Hindu-majority island has voiced opposition in hosting Israel’s national team, as underlined by a letter written by governor Wayan Koster to the central government on March 14.
We request the [Youth and Sports] Minister adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali
“We request the [Youth and Sports] Minister adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali. We, the provincial government of Bali, declare that we refuse the participation of the Israel team to compete in Bali,” Wayan wrote.
Advertisement
Advertisement