According to officials, the much-anticipated draw for the men's FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia has been abruptly canceled, only days after Bali's governor called for Israel to be excluded from the competition.
The two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations and support for the Palestinian cause in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation runs high, fueling local opposition to hosting the Israeli team.
Fixtures for the 24-nation tournament beginning in May were due to be chosen on Friday in Bali. Still, FIFA canceled the event without citing a reason or setting a new date, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said in a statement on Sunday.
Officials said a likely factor in the draw's cancelation was a call by Bali governor Wayan Koster to ban Israel over its policies towards Palestinians in a letter sent to the Ministry of Youth and Sports this month.
"The draw has been canceled. We can understand that because there was a rejection from Bali's governor," PSSI executive committee member Arya Sinulingga told a press conference in Jakarta on Sunday.
"Israel is a participant, and the draw cannot be held without all participants."
FIFA did not respond to a request for comment.
Israel is due to participate in the tournament after qualifying for the first time, and Jakarta has pledged to protect its involvement.
Organizers had hoped hosting Israeli games on the Hindu-majority island of Bali would offer a buffer against local backlash, but Koster's opposition has cast that into doubt.
Around a hundred conservative Muslim demonstrators also marched in Jakarta this month to protest Israel's involvement.
Officials in Jakarta said they feared losing hosting rights to the country's first major tournament and being isolated by the world governing body if the situation was not resolved.
The country was also considering hosting the tournament under a cloud of one of the worst stadium disasters in the sport's history after 135 people died in an East Java stadium stampede in October.
Authorities have been trying to slowly rebuild the country's standing after FIFA suspended it from international football in 2015 for a year over government meddling in a domestic association.
