Indonesia's treatment of Israeli gymnasts prompts criticism but also acceptance from sport's global chief

Indonesia's decision to deny visas to the Israeli national gymnastics team has sparked widespread criticism from international sports governing bodies. However, according to International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) President Morinari Watanabe, respect for the Indonesian government's decision is also paramount.

Watanabe acknowledged that FIG "deeply regrets" not being able to protect the rights of one country's athletes in this situation but emphasized that other statutes prioritizing safety must be considered. Indonesia claimed the decision was a measure to ensure the safety of participating athletes, including those from Israel and Jakarta city residents, in a non-political manner.

However, FIG Secretary General Nicolas Buompane suggested that groups posing a threat with the Israeli team's presence played a role in the Indonesian government's decision-making process. When asked if this constitutes a breach of FIG statutes protecting equal treatment for all nations' athletes, Buompane stated that other articles help defend against such claims.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a statement condemning Indonesia's decision directly, calling on host countries to ensure eligible athletes can participate without any form of discrimination. According to IOC officials, the responsibility lies with the host country, organizer, and sports organizations to respect this principle fully.

On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Israel's request for intervention in its visa ban dispute. The International Gymnastics Federation expressed "inconceivable" actions by Indonesia's decision makers while impacting the morale of gymnasts and staff working tirelessly for a World Championship event.

The situation underscores challenges faced by sports governing bodies worldwide, where balance between safety and inclusivity must be struck during global events.

OMG, can u believe this?! Like, I get it, Indonesia's gotta protect its citizens, but come on, not all Israeli athletes are gonna cause drama . And what's with the 'non-political' claim? It sounds like a pretty weak excuse to me . The FIG should really be taking a closer look at this, imo . I mean, we're talking about the Olympics here, where sports unity is supposed to shine through, not get derailed by drama & politics .

And btw, IOC's statement is spot on - host countries gotta respect equal treatment for all athletes, no matter what . The CAS decision just makes it worse...I'm literally shaking my head over this whole situation . We need to find a way to balance safety & inclusivity, like, ASAP . The sports world is all about unity, not division !

I'm literally shaking my head over this whole thing ... I mean, can't we just have one international sporting event without all the drama? It's like Indonesia is trying to make a point about their own safety concerns, but in doing so, they're basically discriminating against other countries' athletes. And now the IOC and FIG are just standing there like "oh, we can't do anything"... Like, what about the human rights aspect of things? It's not that hard to have a peaceful event where everyone can compete without any issues...

omg I'm literally shaking thinking about how unfair this whole thing is I mean like what even is the point of international sports if we can't have athletes from different countries come together in peace? I've got a friend who's Israeli and she's super upset about this visa ban and honestly I don't blame her. I'm just thinking about how hard these gymnasts work for their medals and it's all getting ruined by some political drama . I feel bad for the Indonesian government but at the same time I get why everyone's so upset... can't we just have sports without politics?

I gotta say, this whole thing with Indonesia denying visas to the Israeli gymnastics team is super concerning. Like, what's next? Are they gonna start banning teams from other countries too just because of some politics? It's all about finding that balance between safety and inclusivity, right? But it seems like Indonesia is taking a pretty extreme stance here.

And I feel for the FIG and IOC trying to navigate this situation. They're stuck between pleasing their members (the countries involved) and doing what's right (allowing all athletes to compete without discrimination). It's not an easy job, but someone's gotta do it. I just hope they can find a way to make this work without affecting the morale of all the athletes involved.

omg what is going on with indonesia and israel i feel so bad for the indonesian gymnasts who have to deal with all this drama but at the same time i get why they're being cautious about safety and stuff especially after what happened in jakarta city last year i think the fig and ioc are being a bit too harsh on indonesia though shouldn't they be trying to find a middle ground or something like a compromise or a solution that works for everyone? anyway i'm just so excited for the world championships though can't wait to see some awesome gymnastics moves

I gotta say, I'm torn on this whole thing... Indonesia's decision to ban the Israeli gymnastics team seems like a legit concern for national security and public safety, but at the same time, it's gotta be super frustrating for athletes from all over the world who want to compete. I mean, isn't that what sports are all about? But on the other hand, can we really expect countries to just throw open their borders to anyone, regardless of their nationality or politics? It's a tough one. And honestly, I feel like sports organizations like the FIG and IOC should be doing more to prevent these kinds of situations from happening in the first place... Like, isn't it their job to ensure that everyone can compete fairly and safely?

omg what is happening indonesia is like totally being shady with this visa thing and i'm not sure if it's cool or not lol some ppl r saying they're doin it 4 safety reasons but idk if that's even legit meanwhile the fig is tryna stay neutral but also kinda side w/ indonesia and IOC is all like "hey no discrimination" but at the same time it's like indonesia made up their mind already anyways this whole thing is just super confusing and i'm not sure how it's gonna affect the gymnastics world

omg I'm so frustrated with this whole thing! how can a country just deny visas to a whole team of athletes from another country just because it's a sensitive topic? it's like, sports is about bringing people together, not dividing them. and what really gets me is that Indonesia says it's all about safety, but isn't that just a cover for their own biases? I mean, if the situation was flipped and Israel was denying visas to Indonesian athletes, would they be saying the same thing?

anyway, I'm so tired of these countries trying to justify their behavior with "safety" or "security" or whatever. it's just not fair to the athletes who are innocent bystanders in all this drama let's focus on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of where they're from!

omg this is getting out of hand Indonesia's visa ban on the Israeli gymnastics team is so unfair i mean, can't they just focus on the sport and not make it all about politics? it's like when you're trying to have a convo with your friend but they're too busy drama-ing

i feel for the gymnasts who are literally putting their lives on the line every time they step onto that floor and now they can't even compete without being discriminated against? it's so not cool, Indonesia

and what's with the CAS rejecting Israel's request? isn't that like, basic due process? i'm all for striking a balance between safety and inclusivity, but this is just ridiculous

I get why the Indonesian gov is tryna protect their citizens, but visa ban on the whole Israeli gymnastics team seems kinda harsh. Like, what's the harm in having some athletes from Israel there? And it's not like they're representin' the entire country or anything. This whole thing feels like a big mess and I just wanna see both sides get along peacefully . Maybe we can find a way to make it work without makin' anyone feel left out or threatened?

omg i'm so with the IOC on this one , no country should have to discriminate against another's athletes just because of politics . it's not like israel's team is gonna come in there and stir up trouble... gymnastics is all about unity & sportsmanship, right? i feel so bad for the gymnasts from israel who are now having to deal with this visa ban, they're already super focused on competing . can't we just have a peaceful competition where everyone gets along & respects each other's differences?

I mean, come on... this is what happens when politics gets in the way of sports! Indonesia's move to deny visas to the Israeli national gymnastics team seems like a no-brainer - but now we're hearing it was all about safety? I'm not buying it. The FIG's trying to downplay the whole thing, saying they respect Indonesia's decision... yeah right! It's like they're saying, "Hey, we can't control what happens in host countries, so we'll just sit back and do nothing."

And let's not forget about the IOC's statement - that's a big one! They're calling out Indonesia directly for discrimination... that takes some guts. But here's the thing: if Indonesia was truly concerned about safety, why did they make it so clear that Israel was the problem? Was it really just about keeping things non-political or was there something more going on?

The CAS rejecting Israel's request for intervention is no surprise... those guys are always looking out for their own interests. But the real question here is: what's the bigger picture? How does this affect the World Championship event as a whole? And who gets hurt in the process?

I'm not surprised by this move from Indonesia . I've seen how sensitive some countries are about politics and sports events. It's like they think they're above the rules or something. The FIG is trying to find a middle ground here, but it's hard when one country just wants to dictate what others can do. And then you have the IOC chiming in and saying "hey, host countries need to step up their game" . It's like they're not even acknowledging the elephant in the room – Indonesia's got some major issues with Israel (and other countries) that need to be addressed. But I guess when it comes to sports, nobody wants to get involved and stir up trouble . This whole situation just goes to show how hard it is for sports to navigate politics and geopolitics without losing their cool .

this whole thing is like when u have to choose between being loyal to your friends & doing what's best for the team. in this case, indonesia's decision might seem harsh but maybe it was a calculated risk to ensure everyone's safety? but at the same time, it's not cool when international orgs come in and try to dictate what host countries can do like, IOC is all about respect & inclusivity, but are they also considering the host country's perspective?

anyway, it's a great reminder that sometimes there's no clear-cut answer, and we gotta weigh our options carefully. just like in gymnastics, where u gotta judge the risk vs reward ratio , or in life, where u have to make tough choices that might not sit well with everyone...

omg u guys i cant even believe what's happening in indonesia right now so like i know we should respect their decision but c'mon how can they just discriminate against an entire country based on politics? and what really gets me is that fig and olympic committee are all like "oh well we cant do anything" like whats the point of even having a governing body if u dont stand up for ur athletes? i mean i get that safety is important but come on can't they find a way to balance it with inclusivity? and btw why did the indianapolis court reject israel's request for intervention lol did they not watch any basketball games in the us

"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can build freedom without peace." They need to find that balance in order to let the athletes compete fair

this whole thing is just a mess if you ask me... idk why indonesia can't just say they don't want the israeli team here period? all these back-and-forth about 'safety' and 'equal treatment' it's like, what's the real reason for denying visas in the first place?

and meanwhile, the fig and ioc are just kinda standing around while indonesia is doing its own thing... shouldn't they be like, 'hey, we need to sort this out ASAP?' instead of making excuses about different articles and stuff. it's like, get on the same page already!

omg this is so messed up indonesia can't just deny visas to an entire team because of politics... i mean i get it about safety but come on! the igf should really step in here and enforce their rules instead of letting the host country get away with it. i'm all for balance between safety and inclusivity, but this is just ridiculous. what's next? banning teams from other countries because of some sensitive issue?

idk why they cant just chill about it... its a gymnastics meet not politics Indonesia's got the right to set their own rules & safety protocols but is it really necessary to ban an entire national team? it feels like they're trying to make a point rather than having a reasonable conversation. the IOC's all about promoting inclusivity & fair play so i'm surprised they're not taking a stronger stance