21/3/2023–|Last updated: 3/21/202309:51 AM (Makkah)
Hundreds of Indonesians gathered in the capital, Jakarta, on Monday, to demand that their country’s government prevent the Israeli national team from participating in the World Youth Championship organized by the International Football Association (FIFA).
Indonesia, with a Muslim majority, will host the FIFA U-20 World Cup from May 20 to June 11 in 6 major cities in the country.
The tournament was scheduled to be held in 2021, but the Covid-19 health measures prevented it from being held, which called on the International Federation to grant the organization in the 2023 edition to the same country.
The protesters gathered in central Jakarta, and raised the flags of their country and the flags of Palestine, chanting “God is great” and “take Israel out of the World Cup under the age of 20.”
The organizers said the protest was a response to “many years of the occupation’s unjust policy against the Palestinians”.
Indonesia does not have official relations with Israel, and the country is a strong supporter of the Palestinians, but officials confirmed that the government will not prevent the Israeli team from entering its territory and participating in the tournament.
And on Tuesday, the Hebrew newspaper “Israel Hayom” said that Tel Aviv “is in talks with 4 Arab and Islamic countries to normalize relations with them, namely Indonesia, Somalia, Niger and Mauritania.”
