Indonesia refuses visas to Israeli gymnasts in protest over the situation in Gaza.
According to the international news agency, the World Gymnastics Championships are going to be held in Indonesia next week, in which the Israeli team was also supposed to participate.
However, in the context of the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza and the global response to the atrocities against Palestinians, Indonesia refused to grant visas to Israeli athletes.
The president of the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation, Eita Yuliati, confirmed that the Israeli team will not participate in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta from October 19 to 25, because they have not been issued visas to enter.
The country's senior minister for legal affairs, Yisrael Ahza Mahendra, said the decision was made after objections from religious councils and various social groups, as recognizing Israel is considered against the dignity of the Palestinian state.
The minister clarified that Indonesia remains committed to its policy that Israel will not be recognized until it accepts an independent and sovereign state of Palestine.
Pro-Palestinian sentiment has grown on Indonesian social media in recent weeks, and the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation's accounts received hundreds of protest messages after the announcement of the Israeli team's participation.
Meanwhile, UN experts have called on FIFA and the European Football Union to suspend Israel from international competitions.
However, Israel has been calling the measures to bar its athletes from international competitions unfair and based on accusations.
It should be noted that Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world and does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
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