“Really uncomfortable” is the verdict from within the Irish dressing room. It is a double-header in the Nations League that pits the Republic of Ireland against Israel – twice in the next fortnight – in one of the most contentious fixtures in history.
Even on the eve of the match, there were still conversations ongoing surrounding whether Ireland would fulfil the fixture, with participation only being confirmed following a vote among the players.
International football has been littered with matches bearing a political undercurrent. In the 1930s, Germany played England at White Hart Lane, home to Tottenham Hotspur, and performed Nazi salutes before kick-off at a club with a traditionally large Jewish support.
East Germany later faced West Germany at the height of the Cold War; England would meet Argentina at the 1986 World Cup, just four years after the Falklands conflict.
Few games have inspired such a public backlash amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Here is why and everything to know about the matches.
Why is Israel vs Ireland controversial?
Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson (left) and captain Seamus Coleman have been asked about the controversy in recent weeks (Photo: Getty)As a nation, the Republic of Ireland is noted for its strong support of the Palestinian cause, which has been heightened since the Israeli response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis. An estimated 75,000 Palestinians were killed in the first 16 months of the war in Gaza, according to an independent study published by the Lancet journal.
Ireland defender Seamus Coleman addressed questions surrounding whether the matches should go ahead by saying he “knows the difference between right and wrong”. Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has said some of his players had voiced opposition to the games, adding: “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide”.
The Israeli FA responded strongly with a statement on social media on Monday. It read: “We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by Hallgrimsson. We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity; we’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
What is the link between Ireland and Palestine?
Many Irish people have drawn anti-colonial parallels between British occupation and the war in Gaza. In the 20th century, Britain used heavy-handed tactics in Ireland – including the deployment of the notorious Black and Tans, who were recruited by the British government into the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) during the War of Independence and committed a series of atrocities. After the RIC was disbanded, hundreds of the paramilitary police force were sent to Mandatory Palestine (which was under British rule from 1920 to 1948).
A number of prominent political figures – including former Taoiseach Simon Harris and former President Michael D Higgins have also made comparisons between the Great Hunger of the nineteenth century in Ireland, also known as the Irish Potato Famine, and the levels of starvation in Gaza.
Why isn’t Ireland’s ‘home’ leg in Dublin?
Fans protest outside a recent Irish Premier Division match in Galway (Photo: Getty)The FAI (Irish football’s governing body) decided that for security reasons, the “home” match against Israel could not be played at the Aviva Stadium. Uefa therefore gave a list of options which would also provide an unfamiliar venue for Israel for their away tie. On 27 September, Israel will “host” the Irish in Debrecen, Hungary, while the return takes place on 4 October at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia.
Who demanded a boycott?
There has been an ongoing campaign called Stop the Game fronted by Irish Sport for Palestine, who released an open letter calling on the country’s footballers to boycott the match, accusing the Israeli Government of “a brutal system of apartheid, and now, acts of genocide”. Louise Quinn, who plays for the women’s national team, was among the signatories.
Human rights group Amnesty International said Uefa risks “rubber-stamping apartheid” by allowing the games to go ahead. It said in a statement: “Sport should never be used as a public relations spectacle for states committing atrocities.”
What has the response been?
The FAI asked Uefa to ensure that the Republic of Ireland and Israel are kept apart in future draws. That was rejected because “Ireland and Israel have never been in direct conflict”. For example, Serbia and Kosovo do not play one another because of historic conflict between the two countries, but the Republic of Ireland were told the rule does not apply here.
RTE, the national broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland, will dramatically scale back its coverage and only a basic world feed will be provided by Uefa, with no half-time analysis on TV.
How close did Ireland come to a boycott?
Ireland travelled to Serbia for their first of their matches against Israel but their preparations were thrown into disarray when goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu indicated his intent to withdraw from the team.
Their pre-match press conference and training session were delayed while meetings took place at the team hotel. It included four hours of conversations between players, the coaching staff and the FAI’s executives.
“We carried out a vote amongst the squad to establish their sentiment on fulfiling the fixtures,” said David Courrell, the chief executive of the FAI. “It was a significant majority returned with the intention to continue.”
Manager Hallgrimsson said in the press conference that “nobody is comfortable at the moment” and that there is “no action we do that everybody will agree to”. He confirmed that all players apart from Bazunu would take part in training.
Courrell added that Ireland’s players plan to not fulfil their media obligations, not take part in moments of the pre-match ceremony, wear black armbands in memory of those who have died in the conflict and make a “significant” charitable donation.
Could Israel be banned from international football?
Despite ongoing campaigns to ban Israel’s national team and Israeli clubs from Fifa and Uefa competitions, The i Paper has been told that such action would only have been taken if individual national FAs refused to play games – as they did with Russia within days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia has not been allowed to play at subsequent European Championships or World Cups.
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Why is sport particularly contentious?
The Palestinian FA has also taken legal action against a number of Israeli “settler” clubs who play on land internationally recognised as being illegally occupied. Hundreds of Palestinian sportspeople – including footballers – are believed to have been killed in Israeli air strikes and shootings since 2023. Palestine’s two football leagues were also halted at the end of 2023, with competitive action only returning to Gaza this month with the “Martyrs Cup”.
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