TL;DR: Indonesia denied visas to the Israeli gymnastics team for the 2025 World Championships due to its stance on the Gaza conflict. Appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport were rejected, and Israel will not participate in the event scheduled for October 19-25 in Jakarta.
Visa Denial and Event Details
- Indonesia denied entry visas to six Israeli gymnasts set to compete in the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (October 19-25, Jakarta), citing opposition to Israel's military actions in Gaza.
- The decision was announced on October 10, 2025, aligning with Indonesia’s longstanding policy of not hosting Israeli delegations due to a lack of diplomatic relations and support for Palestinians.
Legal Appeals Rejected
- The Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) filed two urgent appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) requesting that Israel be allowed to compete or that the event be relocated or canceled.
- On October 14, 2025, CAS rejected both appeals, stating that visa issuance is a sovereign decision beyond the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) authority.
- A CAS statement said the FIG had “no prerogatives” regarding visa decisions and that the matter was “outside the competence” of the organization.
Impact on Athletes
- Affected gymnasts include Artem Dolgopyat, reigning world floor champion and 2021 Olympic gold medalist, along with Eyal Indig, Ron Pyatov, Lihie Raz, Yali Shoshani, and Roni Shamay.
- Dolgopyat posted: “We continue the fight, hoping to achieve justice, but unfortunately we will no longer be able to compete in these World Championships.”
International and Historical Context
- Indonesia previously lost the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup for refusing to host Israel and has blocked Israeli athletes in past international events.
- FIG did not relocate the gymnastics event despite having the authority to do so under its rules.
- The exclusion occurs amid global scrutiny of Israel's actions in Gaza, with over 67,000 reported deaths and widespread international debate.