Indonesia's anti-Israel prejudice is a diplomatic own goal - editorial

Indonesia had hoped that hosting this year’s Under-20 World Cup would do for it what the World Cup did last year for Qatar: burnish its standing on the world stage.

Major sports events tend to do that. They shine a light on the host country and introduce positive aspects of that country to a world that often hears or reads about developing countries only when things go wrong: wars, coups and disasters.

Indeed, the last time Indonesia made world headlines was the stampede at a soccer stadium last October that killed 135 people and was triggered by police use of tear gas. Here was a chance for Indonesia to show the world – and its own people – that it is much better than that. Here was a perfect opportunity for Indonesia to put its best foot forward.

But Indonesia missed that opportunity due to its deeply ingrained anti-Israel prejudice.

Indonesia faces FIFA punishment for anti-Israel prejudice

Last Wednesday, FIFA, soccer’s global governing organization, formally announced it was stripping Indonesia of the right to host this tournament because of Indonesian objection to Israel’s participation. Israel was one of only 24 countries that qualified for the tournament – the first time Israel has ever done so. As a result, the image that Indonesia projected was not one of a modern, forward-looking nation, but rather, that of a backward state still blinded by anti-Israel prejudice.

This was not the first time Indonesia has taken steps against Israeli athletes. In 1958, Indonesia – along with Turkey and Sudan – dropped out of the qualifying round for the World Cup to avoid playing Israel. Today, Turkey and Sudan both have ties with Israel, while Indonesia’s position toward the Jewish state remains frozen where it was 65 years ago. So much for projecting a forward-looking image.

Antipathy toward Israel so blinds Indonesia that the country is taking steps that run contrary to its own interests. Hosting this tournament would have allowed its own youth team, which did not qualify on its own merits, to participate, and hosting the tournament was expected to bring an infusion of several hundred million dollars into the local economy.

None of that will now happen, and it appears that Argentina will step in at the last minute and host the event, which is scheduled to run from May 20 to June 11. This is definitely a case of Indonesia’s loss being Argentina’s gain.

In addition, Indonesia is now facing additional FIFA sanctions, including being barred from trying to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

It is unfortunate that when it comes to Israel, Indonesia is copying neighboring Malaysia, rather than Singapore, another neighbor. Malaysia lost the right to host both the 2021 World Men’s Team Squash Championships and the 2019 World Paralympic Swimming Championships due to its refusal to allow Israeli participation. Singapore, on the other hand, has a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with Israel and last month announced it would open its embassy in Tel Aviv.

Local politics played a role in Indonesia’s own goal. Presidential elections are scheduled for February. Lashing out at Israel is one way of playing a strong populist card in the world’s most populous Muslim country, which is highly sympathetic to the Palestinians.

Once one of the leading presidential candidates joined the call to ban Israel, his rivals, including the current president, could hardly look any less pro-Palestinian and show support for Israeli participation.

This is a shame since Indonesia has long been regarded as one of the next in line to join the Abraham Accords and forge formal diplomatic ties with Israel. In January 2022, then-foreign minister Yair Lapid talked about that possibility publicly, though he stressed that nothing was imminent. If Indonesia is unwilling to let a group of Israeli teens play soccer on its soil, however, it seems rather far-fetched to believe it will be formalizing relations any time soon.

While Jakarta should be roundly condemned for its unsporting behavior and discrimination against Israel, FIFA should be applauded for taking a firm position and not allowing this to stand.

FIFA’s statutes explicitly ban discrimination of any kind against any country. The organization’s unyielding stand against this anti-Israel discrimination shows that it takes its own statutes seriously. This is commendable, and we hope other countries and governing sports bodies are watching and taking note.