Ireland played Israel in the Nations League on two separate occasions. First on the 27th of September and later, on the 4th of October. Before the matches kicked off, they were the subject of much controversy.
With the backdrop of a charge of genocide against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government at the International Criminal Court, there was significant controversy over Israel’s inclusion in the tournament. Allegations of hypocrisy arose over the decision not to suspend Israel from UEFA competitions, since Russia were promptly banned from UEFA and FIFA tournaments after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. When the fixtures were first announced, months of protest and calls for boycott ensued.
In July, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) passed a motion to allow the fixtures to continue despite the ‘Stop the Game’ campaign from fans, which continued right up to both games. The FAI did not sell any tickets in Ireland for either game. Many pubs across the country opted not to show the fixtures. The responsibility for whether or not to play was ultimately delegated by the governing body of Irish football to the individual players.
After a reportedly protracted four-hour debate, the squad voted to play. Third-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu made it clear he would not be in the squad for either match due to his personal reservations regarding the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza and “belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong”. Finn Azaz, who had been a vital player against Austria, with the most touches of anyone on the pitch, did not play either game out of respect for his mother’s Israeli heritage.
Both matches were evidently tense; there were no handshakes between team captains, Ireland bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem and wore black armbands in memory of the Palestinians killed amidst war crimes and in what many have labelled a genocide taking place in Gaza. Eleven Irish supporters managed to get into the stadium for the first round.
Both fixtures were broadcast on RTÉ using UEFA’s global broadcast feed. The largely muted broadcast featured no punditry or half-time analysis. Hungary and Serbia were designated as neutral locations for the games.
The first fixture ended 3-0 with goals from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan scoring his first international goal. Moylan celebrated by removing his black armband and kissing it. The second match, which was played in Serbia, ended in a one-all draw with a noticeable decline in Irish form on the pitch, a penalty from Parrott keeping Ireland in touch.
Throughout both matches, the Irish players were subjected to Israeli Defence Forces chants by Israeli supporters as well as alleged racial abuse directed at Adam Idah. When the FAI appeared before the Oireachtas two days after the match in Hungary to defend the decision to allow the match to go ahead, it was revealed that players were not properly briefed on how to report racial abuse, and, as a result, the incident could not be properly investigated. After the second match, a member of the Israeli team allegedly spat at a member of the Irish coaching staff, and the investigation is still ongoing.
By: Emma Cuffe