President Receives Palestinian Envoy amid Israel Debate over U-20 World Cup
Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received a visit by the Palestinian ambassador to Indonesia on Friday in an apparent attempt to counter domestic voices opposing Israel’s participation in the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup hosted by the Southeast Asian country.
Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with Israel in the country’s support for the sovereign State of Palestine.
But the government is determined to make its first-ever FIFA tournament a success in the football-loving country, which also has the biggest Muslim population in the world.
Israel qualified for the Indonesian edition of the U-20 World Cup after competing in the European zone, which also sends England, France, Italy, and Slovakia to the final rounds.
Indonesia Officially Announced as Host of 2021 U-20 FIFA World Cup
Palestinian Ambassador Zuhair Al-Shun expressed gratitude for Indonesia’s “unwavering support for the Palestinian people” during the meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.
The president was accompanied by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during the meeting.
But the envoy didn’t say anything about the football tournament.
“The Indonesian president keeps following closely on the ground developments in Palestine and in this regard the Indonesian government strongly denounces various infringements and violating policies committed by Israel. That’s what the Indonesian president told me today,” Zuhair said after the closed-door meeting as quoted by the State Secretariat website.
“We believe that Indonesia will never change and we also witness the consistent support from the government and all elements in Indonesia,” he added.
No Issue with Israel Participating in U-20 World Cup: Indonesia
The meeting came after Bali Governor I Wayan Koster sent a letter to the government rejecting any Israeli match to be held on the predominantly Hindu island.
The governor, however, seemed forgetful that an Israeli parliament delegation visited the resort island last year to attend the 144th Inter-Parliamentary Union conference.
Only three months ago, an Israeli team competed at the Esport World Championship in Nusa Dua, Bali.
Several Israeli athletes have competed on Indonesian soil without major issues in the past.
In 2015, badminton player Misha Zilberman played at the BWF world championship in Jakarta. Last September, Yuval Shemla participated in the World Sport Climbing competition in Jakarta.
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