Sinn Féin to bring Dáil motion calling for boycott of Ireland's matches against Israel

SINN FÉIN WILL bring forward a Dáil motion asking the government to support calls from the Irish football community for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott Ireland’s Uefa Nations League fixtures against Israel later this year. 

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.

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the FAI, with a motion to boycott the games, moved a step closer this week after the General Assembly backed the move.

At least 10% of the 145 delegates in the membership signed a document that was sent to them earlier this week calling for an EGM. As per FAI rules, 10% of General Assembly members are required to support the call to convene an EGM.

Sinn Féin’s motion, which will be brought on 8 June when the Dáil returns from recess, calls on the government to support boycott “on legal and moral grounds”.

It highlights that Fifa and Uefa banned Russia in 2022 in response to the decision of the football associations of Czechia, Poland and Sweden to refuse to play Russia in international competition.

It also calls on the government to agree to cover the costs of any financial penalty that the FAI may incur through refusing to play the game, and also deny any Israeli football players and staff, Israeli officials, and Israeli fans who have participated in violations of international law, entry into Ireland.

The Social Democrats are also bringing forward a Dáil motion demanding the government withdraw its support for the forthcoming Ireland-Israel soccer match.

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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. The party’s Dáil motion will be brought on Wednesday, 10 June.

‘The government doesn’t run Fifa’

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. 

With additional reporting from The 42

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