Controversy has erupted after the Indonesian government allegedly blocked the Israeli team from participating in the World Gymnastics Championships. The current edition of the FIG Artistic World Gymnastics Championships will be taking place in Jakarta from October 19 to October 25.In a press statement issued on Thursday, the senior minister of law for the Indonesian government declared that the Indonesian government will not grant visas to the Israeli gymnasts who intend to participate in the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostInterestingly, the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation had no objection to Israel’s participation, and they even submitted a sponsorship letter for the six-member Israeli contingent in order to obtain the necessary visas for the current edition of the World Gymnastics Championships. However, the sponsorship letter now stands withdrawn.The decision has left sports fans divided. While some people backed the move, others wondered if this was even necessary. One user even commented,"But the gymnastics team is not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, so why punish them for it? I understand that people were murdered in cold blood by their country's leadership, but still, is this really necessary? Genuine ask."Fan reactions over the decision taken by Indonesian government to block Israeli team from World Gymnastics Championships [Image Source : Instagram]Another user called out the decision taken by the Indonesian government as he wrote in the comments section,"Let's be clear, there is a blatant double standard. This is racism and should not be tolerated."This is not the first time the Indonesian government has taken such a step. In 1962, when the Asian Games were hosted by Jakarta, the then-Indonesian government blocked both Israel and Taiwan from participating in the quadrennial event. The Indonesian delegation was briefly suspended by the International Olympic Committee before being allowed in time for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.Israel's performance at the World Gymnastics ChampionshipsIsrael at World Gymnastics Championships [Image Source : Getty] Israel has been regularly participating in the World Gymnastics Championships since 1989, when Ron Kaplan first represented the team at the 1989 edition held in Stuttgart, West Germany.Israel won its first medal at the World Gymnastics Championships in 2009, when Alexander Shatilov won the bronze medal in the floor exercise event at the 2009 edition held in London, UK. Shatilov later won another medal in the 2011 edition held in Tokyo.At the 2017 edition held in Montreal, Artem Olegovich Dolgopyat won Israel's first silver medal in the floor exercise event. He maintained his performance in the Stuttgart edition of the 2019 World Championships before creating history at the 2023 edition held in Antwerp. Dolgopyat, who had created history at the Tokyo Olympics for Israel by winning the gold medal in the men's floor exercise, became the first Israeli gymnast to win a World Championship title by winning the gold medal in the men's floor exercise event.