Indonesia has no formal ties with Israel, although limited trade, tourism, and security relationships exist. In 2016 the Muslim-majority country’s government refused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for a normalisation deal, claiming that Palestinian independence would be a requirement for full ties with the Jewish State.
World Cup organisers reportedly said the Israeli shooter would only be allowed to enter the competition if he used the identification symbols of the ISSF or the International Olympic Committee’s flag. Mr Rikhter refused these demands and instead pulled out from the crunch competition.
“I will never accept to participate in a competition without the ISR on my competition suit, on my personal rifle, and on the results screen,” he told Alliance magazine.
"I will never accept to participate in a competition without the ISR on my competition suit, on my personal rifle, and on the results screen. I do not understand how the Olympic movement approves the holding of international competitions and the brands identification of the countries the athletes represent.
“I start the most important year on the way to Paris when my opponents take a professional advantage over me due to political problems".
“If the Olympic movement, which advocates the existence of sports without distinctions of nationality, religion, race, and sex, does not support its ideology, then what is its value? I don't understand how the state is allowed to organise some sort of competition with a national identity restriction.
"If there was a competition in Israel and we boycotted a country - oh my god - all the athletes would have gotten up and gone in a counter-protest,” he went on.
