CAS rejects emergency ruling to exclude Israel from Gymnastics World Championships

On October 10, the Indonesian government announced that it would not issue entry visas to the Israeli delegation for the Gymnastics World Championships from July 19 to 25 in the capital, Jakarta.

The Israeli Gymnastics Federation had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne and demanded that the participation of the Israeli athletes be guaranteed by an emergency decision or that the event be cancelled or at least postponed.

The CAS rejected the urgent application but stated that the appeal proceedings were ongoing.

World association took note of Indonesia's decision

The Court of Arbitration for Sport definitively rejected a second urgent application, arguing that it lacked jurisdiction. In this application, the Israeli Gymnastics Federation had demanded that the International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) retract its statement of October 10.

In it, the FIG had merely "noted" the Indonesian government's decision of the same day and acknowledged the "challenges faced by the host country in organizing this event."

It continued: "The FIG hopes that an environment will be created as soon as possible in which athletes from all over the world can practice sport safely and without worry."

German Gymnastics Association called for Israel’s participation

The responsible Indonesian Minister for Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, had justified the decision to exclude Israeli gymnasts from the World Championships with the Gaza war - before the peace agreement .

"The Indonesian government has a firmly established policy of not having any contact with Israel as long as that country does not recognize the existence of a free and sovereign Palestine," Mahendra explained.

The Israeli Gymnastics Federation described the Indonesian decision as "both outrageous and deeply disturbing for the integrity of international sport."

The German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) also reacted with incomprehension, "since, to our knowledge, there has been no decision by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) on this matter." Therefore, according to the DTB, athletes from Israel should be allowed to compete at the World Championships.

World champion cannot defend title

Around 500 gymnasts from 80 countries will compete for World Championship medals in Jakarta. The best Israeli gymnast, Artem Dolgopyat, will likely not be able to defend his floor title, which he won at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, following the CAS decision.

The 28-year-old Ukrainian, who came to Israel with his family at the age of twelve, won the 2021 Olympic floor exercise in Tokyo and the 2024 Olympic silver medal in Paris.

For decades, predominantly Muslim Indonesia has denied Israeli athletes the right to participate in international sporting events in the country. This first occurred at the 1962 Asian Games.

In 2023, FIFA withdrew the country's bid to host the U-20 World Cup after leading Indonesian politicians called for Israel's exclusion. The tournament was to have been played in Argentina.