More than 160 Irish athletes have signed an open letter, urging the Republic of Ireland’s men’s soccer team to boycott their forthcoming match against Israel. This request arises amidst growing diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
The Republic of Ireland is scheduled to face Israel in two UEFA Nations League qualifying games. These matches are set to take place in Hungary on September 27 and in Serbia on October 4. Due to protests over the civilian casualties in Gaza, both games will occur without fans in neutral countries.
Irish Sport for Palestine, an activist group, announced on social media that these sportspeople are calling on the Irish soccer team to “act collectively with conscience” and refuse to engage in the games against Israel.
Recently, the Israeli Football Association criticized Irish head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson for his public comments. During a press conference, Hallgrímsson responded to questions about maintaining player focus amidst the controversy, remarking, “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel; we are not playing with Israel.”
Irish fans displayed a banner reading “Show Israel the red card” before a match at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. This response was met with a strong rebuttal from the Israeli association, questioning the coach’s remarks regarding ignorance and hypocrisy.
Ireland’s government has been vocally critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza. This criticism has exacerbated tensions, leading Israel to close its embassy in Dublin in December 2024. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar cited Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies” as the reason for closure. Saar condemned Ireland’s actions and rhetoric, accusing them of demonizing the Jewish state and applying double standards.
Ireland has moved to support South Africa in its legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. The Irish government has officially joined the lawsuit.
The Irish football association previously voted to request UEFA to suspend Israel from competitions. Despite this, the Football Association of Ireland committed to fulfilling obligations for the UEFA fixtures, citing potential impacts on Irish football.
A statement from the association emphasized the need to balance support for Palestine with the future development of Irish football by adhering to scheduled matches.