The International Olympic Committee has recommended global sports federations cease holding events in Indonesia after the country barred Israeli athletes from the ongoing gymnastics world championships in Jakarta.
The IOC’s executive board issued a statement Wednesday saying it was also ending “any form of dialogue” with Indonesia about hosting future Olympic events.
An Indonesian government official declared earlier this month that Israeli athletes would be denied visas to participate in the world championships, which started last Sunday and run through this weekend, The Associated Press said.
Israel was among 86 teams registered to compete, and its squad included 2020 Olympic gold medalist and defending world champion Artem Dolgopyat in the men’s floor exercise.
“These actions deprive athletes of their right to compete peacefully and prevent the Olympic movement from showing the power of sport,” the IOC's executive board said.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and has long been a staunch supporter of Palestinians. The scheduled participation of Israeli athletes had sparked intense opposition within the country.
Jakarta Gov. Pramono Anung earlier this month said the humanitarian catastrophe resulting from the Israel-Hamas war is unbearable and that the arrival of Israeli athletes would cause deep emotional distress to the majority of Indonesians.
The IOC's executive board met remotely this week to further discuss the situation in Indonesia, and also the “recurrent global issue regarding athletes’ access to international competitions.”
The IOC said “all eligible athletes, teams and sports officials must be able to take part in international sports competitions and events without any form of discrimination by the host country.” It added that the fundamental principles that govern the Olympic movement include “non-discrimination, autonomy and political neutrality.”
It said it was ceasing dialogue with Indonesia over hosting the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, Olympic events and conferences until the government gave “adequate guarantees” that all participants would be granted access to the country regardless of nationality.
In addition, it said it would recommend international sports federations don't stage tournaments, events or meetings in Indonesia until those guarantees were given.
The Indonesian Olympic committee has been invited to IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to discuss the issue.
In response to the IOC's announcement, Indonesia’s Youth and Sport Minister Erick Thohir said the government understood its decision to block the arrival of the Israeli gymnastics delegation would have consequences.
“Indonesia will continue to play an active role in various sporting events at the Southeast Asian, Asian, and world levels, so that Indonesian sports can be an ambassador and a reflection of the nation’s greatness in the eyes of the world,” Thohir said in a written statement Thursday.
Indonesia is among the countries which have either confirmed or is considering a bid to host the 2036 Olympics, a list that also includes India and Qatar. The next two Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028 and in Brisbane, Australia in 2032.
Indonesia was stripped of hosting rights for soccer’s Under-20 World Cup in 2023 only two months before the scheduled start of the tournament amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation. FIFA, soccer's international governing body, later awarded the Under-17 World Cup to Indonesia — Israel wasn't among the 24 teams that qualified for that tournament.
Since the 1962 Asian Games when Israel and Taiwan were excluded from Jakarta, Indonesia has maintained a consistent refusal to host Israeli delegations.
