Protesters took part in a rally against Israel in Jakarta this month.

FIFA has removed Indonesia as host of the Under-20 soccer World Cup less than two months before the tournament is set to begin, after politicians in the Muslim-majority country objected to Israel’s participation.

Israel qualified for the youth tournament for the first time in its history. Indonesia, which doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Israel, was set to host its first FIFA tournament. Preparations had been under way for months, with possible host stadiums narrowed down to six and a mascot selected: a Javanese rhino named Bacuya, whose multicolored horn glowed when he played soccer with others.  

FIFA didn’t provide a reason for removing Indonesia, but it said that a new host would be announced as soon as possible and that sanctions might be leveled against the Football Association of Indonesia.

Tournament preparations were thrown into tumult recently when Wayan Koster, the governor of the Indonesian island of Bali, said he wouldn’t accept Israel’s participation, according to the Indonesian soccer association.

Bali had been set to host a drawing ceremony for the tournament, where matchups were set to be determined, this coming Friday. On Sunday, the Football Association of Indonesia said FIFA had canceled the drawing ceremony.

The association said FIFA didn’t provide an official reason for canceling, but that Mr. Koster’s rejection of Israel’s presence was likely why. The association said that the Bali governor’s decision violated a guarantee he had made to FIFA to act as a host of the tournament and that it worried about the damage this would cause Indonesian soccer.

Even as the association called for calm, politicians across Indonesia’s political spectrum chimed in to say that they didn’t approve of Israel’s presence in the tournament. Hidayat Nur Wahid, who serves as a member of Parliament for an Islamist political party, said the government should pressure FIFA to disinvite Israel.

On Tuesday evening, Indonesian President Joko Widodo addressed the nation, where he reaffirmed Indonesia’s support for the Palestinian cause, but said that it was important to follow FIFA rules, which requires hosts to allow all qualifying teams to participate in the tournament. Mr. Widodo said Indonesia had been awarded the right to host in 2019, before it was clear which teams would qualify.

On Wednesday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with Erick Thohir, the head of the Football Association of Indonesia. FIFA said afterward that Indonesia would be removed as host. In a statement conveyed by the Football Association of Indonesia, Mr. Thohir said that he had done everything he could to maintain Indonesia’s right to host, but that Indonesians had to accept FIFA’s decision.

It is another blow to Indonesia’s soccer reputation, after a stampede at an Indonesian stadium last year killed more than 130 when police officers fired tear gas inside a stadium in contravention of FIFA regulations. FIFA said Wednesday that it would continue to assist “in the transformation of Indonesian football” in the wake of the tragedy and that FIFA team members would continue to work with Indonesia’s football association.

Though some Muslim countries like Morocco and the United Arab Emirates have struck up relations with Israel in recent years, Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, has resisted. The country’s democratically elected politicians face strong public pressure to keep distant from Israel. A poll of 1,200 Indonesians in 2021 found that nearly 90% were aware of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and that 71% blamed Israel while just 3% blamed Palestinians.