Jakarta. Foreign Minister Sugiono says the government is closely monitoring reports about Israeli athletes’ potential participation in the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships scheduled to take place in Jakarta later this month, as public debate over the issue intensifies.

Speaking at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday, Sugiono clarified that the event is organized by the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation (Persani), not the government, and that entry permits for foreign participants fall under the authority of the Immigration Office.

“I’m monitoring the situation, but the event is organized by Persani,” Sugiono said. “The permit for entering Indonesia does not come from the Foreign Ministry but from immigration authorities.”

He added that the Foreign Ministry has yet to receive any confirmation about whether Israeli athletes have been granted permission to enter the country. “We don’t yet know if they’ve been approved or not,” he said.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo has taken a firm stance, saying he will not allow Israeli athletes to compete in the championship. He urged both the central government and the organizing committee to reconsider any invitation extended to the Israeli contingent, citing strong public sentiment over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“I hope the government thinks a thousand times before inviting athletes from Israel,” Pramono said. “Their visas should not be issued so they cannot come to Jakarta.”

He warned that the presence of Israeli athletes could provoke emotional reactions among Indonesians, given the country’s deep-rooted support for Palestinian independence, a stance that has long shaped its foreign policy.

The 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, a major qualifier for the upcoming Olympic Games, is expected to draw athletes from dozens of countries, including Israel.

Amid the controversy, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), reiterated its categorical opposition to allowing Israeli athletes to compete on Indonesian soil.

PBNU Executive Board Chairman Ahmad Fahrur Rozi, also known as Gus Fahrur, said that granting permission for Israeli athletes to participate would contradict Indonesia’s Constitution and moral identity.

“Allowing Israeli athletes to compete could provoke public unrest and violate our constitutional mandate, which rejects all forms of colonialism,” Gus Fahrur said in Jakarta on Thursday, as quoted by state news agency Antara.

He said Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with Israel, providing “no reason or benefit” for allowing their athletes to enter the country.

Gus Fahrur cited Indonesia’s historic withdrawal from the 1958 World Cup qualifiers to avoid playing against Israel as a testament to its moral consistency. “That decision reflected our enduring stance against oppression,” he said.

He added that rejecting Israeli participation is also a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people, who continue to face occupation and aggression.

“From the beginning until now, our stance is clear — reject colonialism, reject oppression, and reject normalization with occupying powers,” Gus Fahrur said.

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