Israeli gymnasts will remain barred from participating in this month’s world championships in Indonesia after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an appeal by the Israeli Gymnastics Federation (IGF) seeking to secure their inclusion.

The ruling, announced Tuesday in Lausanne, effectively ends "Israel’s" hopes of competing in the event after Indonesian authorities refused to issue entry visas for its athletes.

The IGF had urged the CAS to compel organizers to “guarantee the participation” of its gymnasts or to relocate or cancel the championships altogether. The Israeli body argued that the visa refusal amounted to “a situation of discrimination.”

However, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) maintained it had no authority to override Indonesia’s visa decisions, emphasizing that the issue fell under national jurisdiction.

“The requests for urgent provisional measures were considered by the deputy president of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division. Both requests have been rejected,” the court said in a statement.

The decision means the event, scheduled for October 19–25,  will proceed as planned in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, with more than 500 athletes from 79 nations expected to compete.

Indonesia's solidarity with the Palestinians 

Israeli athletes had been listed among potential participants, but Indonesian officials confirmed last week that entry visas would not be issued. “Their (the Israeli athletes’) visas have been rejected by the immigration,” said Ita Yuliati, chairwoman of the Indonesian gymnastics federation.

A cabinet minister earlier cited Indonesia’s solidarity with Palestinians as the reason for denying entry to the Israeli delegation.

Indonesia does not maintain diplomatic relations with "Israel". While Israeli settlers may sometimes apply for short-term entry through the “calling visa” procedure, typically requiring sponsorship from an Indonesian entity, such cases remain rare. Dual nationals holding a second passport can, however, enter the country through their other nationality.

The dispute echoes past controversies involving "Israel’s" participation in international sporting events hosted by Indonesia. In July 2023, Jakarta withdrew from organizing the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games following public opposition to Israeli involvement.

Similarly, in March that year, Indonesia was stripped of its hosting rights for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup after two provincial governors objected to "Israel’s" inclusion.

This development adds to the growing international backlash against "Israel" over its genocide in Gaza. In other sporting arenas, the Israel Premier Tech cycling team recently dropped its branding after being excluded from an Italian race due to fears of protests.

Meanwhile, "Israel’s" upcoming World Cup qualifier against Italy is expected to draw large-scale pro-Palestine demonstrations, continuing the trend of political protest in global sports.

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