Not too late for Irish players to boycott Israel games, opposition says

Opposition politicians have insisted it is not too late for Irish players to withdraw from Sunday’s match with Israel.

Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríoráin stated, “Ireland should not be playing this match and players should never have been put in this position.”

“As someone who loves football, this is incredibly upsetting. Players should be thinking about representing their country, not carrying the weight of a decision they never should have been asked to make. Irish football must not be used to sportswash the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza,” he said.

The Labour MEP said that “FIFA and UEFA have failed to act, despite calls for Israel’s suspension from international football. That failure has put Ireland’s players in an impossible position. They should never have had to face this choice.”

“SIPTU’s gathering at Liberty Hall tonight brings trade unionists, campaigners, artists and supporters together in solidarity with Palestine and in support of cancelling Ireland’s upcoming fixtures against Israel. This goes beyond one football match,” he said.

“Labour has called for Israel to be excluded from international sport, academic and cultural events. Ireland must use its EU Presidency to build support for a wider boycott. After this controversy, attention must also turn to the EU–Israel trade agreement. Ireland should press for it to end and use every avenue available to hold Israel accountable.”

Social Democrats TD Daniel Ennis said playing against Israel will be a “stain” on Irish sporting history.

Ennis, the party spokesperson on sport, said “the weight of the decision to proceed with these fixtures now rests solely with our international players, who – in the words of team captain Dara O’Shea – have been left feeling ‘exposed’ and subjected to public criticism. This is hardly surprising when they have been abandoned and thrown to the wolves by their own government, football association and UEFA.”

“Some things are bigger than sport. What is six points in the face of mass murder? What is six points in the context of ethnic cleansing? What is six points in the middle of a genocide?” the Dublin Central TD asked.

“A six-point deduction is recoverable. A dead child is not. Tens of thousands of dead Palestinians are not,” Ennis stated.

The number of athletes killed by Israel in Gaza has risen to 1,014, including players, coaches, referees and Palestinian Football Association officials.

Ennis said “we should not be playing any international fixture against a country that has so blatantly and consistently broken international law, and continues to commit war crimes against the Palestinian people.”

“Ahead of Sunday’s game, we should also be mindful of Israel’s detention and appalling treatment of 21-year-old Palestinian footballer Natalie Abudayyeh. Natalie, who played for Palestine against Bohemian FC in Dalymount Park in 2024, was arrested in her college dorm in June by Israeli authorities and has been held without charge since.”

“The young journalism student was accused of promoting terrorist activity, even though her family insist she has never been political. Natalie’s case is just one of many reasons why Ireland should not be lining up against an Israeli side this weekend,” he said.