If the Republic of Ireland team goes ahead with playing Israel, it “will be a stain on Irish soccer”, the Dáil has been told, reports RTE.
Ireland has been drawn alongside Kosovo, Israel and Austria in Group B3 of the forthcoming UEFA Nations League, reports RTE.
The two scheduled matches between Ireland and Israel are set for next September and October.
The away match is due to be played on 27 September, with the return fixture in Dublin pencilled in for 4 October, reports RTE.
The FAI has confirmed that it plans to honour the scheduled games.
Last year, the FAI voted in favour of submitting a motion to UEFA seeking Israel’s suspension from European competitions, reports RTE.
Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger told the Dáil that a public boycott of the upcoming match should be organised, arguing it could trigger “a domino effect”.
“It’s an inconsequential tournament – it’s not the World Cup play-offs or anything like that,” she said during Leaders’ Questions, reports RTE.
Tánaiste Simon Harris replied that her remarks were “a bit sneery”, adding that the competition may not be inconsequential for the players involved.
Ms Coppinger asked whether he agreed that “there is a time to take a stand in sport, and that the Ireland versus Israel soccer fixture is exactly that time”, reports RTE.
She alleged that racism has become normalised within Israeli sport.
“We should not be complicit in normalising a team that’s integrally connected to a genocide, to racism against Palestinians and to the oppression of the Palestinian people,” she said, reports RTE.
Ms Coppinger said that “Ireland has been in this situation before” regarding apartheid, and she referred positively to former taoiseach Charles Haughey and his approach to the matter.
Mr Harris dismissed Ms Coppinger’s claims and said Ireland continues “to work for a two-state solution”, reports RTE.
He said that when it comes to sporting matters, a measured and rational approach is required, noting that the FAI had taken a position but that UEFA subsequently “decided not to take that view on board”.
“The tournament is going ahead,” he added, cautioning that any withdrawal by Ireland could damage Irish soccer, reports RTE.
Mr Harris also condemned efforts to single out and target individual players in attempts to exert pressure on them.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
