Over 160 Irish Sportspeople Urge Team to Boycott Israel Fixtures
More than 160 athletes and Olympians signed an open letter as the FAI said a squad vote backed playing the two fixtures.
- On Monday, over 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter urging the Irish senior men's national football team to boycott upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Israel, calling on players to "act collectively with conscience."
- Signatories argue that playing Israel legitimises a genocidal regime and ignores statute breaches regarding occupied Palestinian lands; they assert the Football Association of Ireland , UEFA, and the Irish government should have refused on legal, moral, and political grounds.
- Notable figures supporting the initiative include Olympian Ciara Mageean, former rugby international Tony Ward, and soccer player Louise Quinn. The letter states, "Not playing the game would be the most sporting thing you could do."
- Director of Football John Martin urged critics not to blame the squad, stating, "People like me and David Courell made this decision, not the players." He acknowledged squad members are "really uncomfortable playing the games."
- The Irish team faces Israel on September 27 in Debrecen, Hungary, and October 4 in Serbia, while the FAI continues lobbying UEFA to ban Israel from international competitions rather than acting unilaterally.
157 Articles
157 Articles
The parties between Ireland and Israel by the Nations League of Europe are still surrounded by controversy due to the war in Gaza.
Israel – Ireland of the League of Nations is on the way to being a problem for UEFA and for the world of football. The Irish team tried to boycott the game, UEFA warned them of what that could lead to in the form of sanctions and what has happened is a rebellion inside ... Continue reading "Ireland exploits for playing against Israel: its goalkeeper refuses to dispute the party and the rest will not shake hands with the Israelis"
Idaho State Journal
Ireland players vote to go ahead with Israel games as pressure to boycott grows, 1 player leaves
Pressure to boycott upcoming Nations League games against Israel over that country’s actions in Gaza has taken its toll on the Ireland team with players ultimately putting their participation to a vote. Ireland is due to play Israel in Debrecen,…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
