LAST UPDATE | 29 May
TAOISEACH MICHEEÁL MARTIN has said that if the boycott of Ireland men’s football team’s matches with Israel go ahead, they may still have “no impact at all” on Fifa or Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Ireland’s international friendly with Qatar on Thursday was halted twice by fans protesting against the games with Israel.
Tennis balls rained down on the Aviva Stadium pitch from supporters in the upper tiers of the West, East and South Stand.
The group claiming credit for the disruption has promised more of the same and beyond if the calls for a boycott are not heeded.
Asked about the incident and whether the matches should go ahead, the Taoiseach said Ireland does not want “to damage ourselves unnecessarily” by holding a boycott.
“In other words, concede six points to Israel, our ranking goes down. Irish football has been on an upward curve of late, and so on that side, you don’t want to be self-defeating in terms of any actions. The government doesn’t run Fifa,” Martin said.
In February, FAI president Paul Cooke wrote in a letter to the association’s general assembly that a boycott of the Israel games “would lead to the forfeiture of six points”, and could lead to relegation of the team to League C of the Nations League.
This would damage the team’s seeding for Euro 2028 qualification as well as its overall Fifa ranking, Cooke told members at the time.
Speaking today, Fianna Fáil leader Martin said that the Government has been very clear about its “opposition to the genocide in Gaza”, along with the “appalling behaviour of the violent settlers” who Martin said have been facilitated by the Israeli government in the West Bank.
“There is no argument about Ireland’s opposition to what Israel has been doing in Gaza, and everything shouldn’t be reduced to just one match in terms of the articulation of that opposition or protesting about the Israeli government’s behaviour in Gaza itself,” Martin added.
He said the “full implications” of a protest such as the Irish team unilaterally deciding to pull out of the game “needs to be worked out” in terms of its impact on Irish football.
“There’s a presumption that if they did, some of that would impact on Fifa, it may have no impact at all on Fifa, or indeed on Israel, for that matter,” Martin said.
In a statement on Thursday, a group called League of Ireland Fans for Palestine claimed credit for the disruption of the Qatar game.
Describing itself as a grassroots coalition of League of Ireland fans, it said it wanted to send a “strong message to the Football Association of Ireland and the Irish government that the Nations League fixtures between Ireland and Israel MUST be cancelled”.
Social Democrats to hold Dáil debate
The Social Democrats are bringing forward a Dáil motion demanding the government withdraw its support for the forthcoming Ireland-Israel soccer match.
Social Democrats sports spokesperson Sinéad Gibney said Ireland “cannot allow a genocidal Israeli state to launder its reputation through sportswashing”.
“If UEFA is willing to do that, Ireland should not be complicit,” the Dublin Rathdown TD said.
“I applaud all of the FAI members and soccer fans who are making their voices heard on this issue. We now need to see similar advocacy and action from the pollical system.
“For that reason, the Social Democrats will be bringing forward a Dáil motion on Wednesday, 10 June, demanding that the government match its words with actions and withdraws its support for this game.”
FAI delegates push for EGM on Israel match
An extraordinary general meeting of the FAI with a motion to boycott games with Israel later this year has moved a step closer after the General Assembly backed the move.
At least 10% of the 145 delegates in the membership – one of Irish football’s three core governing pillars – signed a document that was sent to them earlier this week calling for an EGM.
The 42 understands the FAI will receive a requisition document today and, under the Association’s rules, an EGM could be called within 60 days.
As per FAI rules, 10% of General Assembly members are required to support the call to convene an EGM.
Ireland are due to face Israel in the Nations League at a neutral venue on 27 September before a return game in Dublin on 4 October.
The motion to refuse to participate “on both legal and moral grounds” was proposed by Cork City, Bohemian FC, CK United, PFA Ireland, and the Irish Football Supporters’ Partnership.
At an EGM before the FAI AGM last year, a 93% majority of the General Assembly voted to put forward a motion to Uefa to suspend Israel from official competition.
In their explanation to the General Assembly as to why the games would go ahead, the FAI said there could be “serious consequences” if they did not, and it would “harm the long-term sporting interests of Irish football”.
On Tuesday, a protest from Palestinian solidarity group “Stop The Games” took place outside the Dáil, while on Wednesday, Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan and Junior Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue both told an Oireachtas committee that they do not plan on attending the Israel game.
Written by David Sneyd,with reporting by Eoghan Dalton, and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.