Ireland match against Israel should go ahead, Taoiseach says

Football matches between Ireland and Israel should go ahead, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheal Martin said there was a need to distinguish between the policies of the government of Israel and the Israeli people.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has said the Republic of Ireland team will fulfil its Nations League fixtures against Israel in the autumn despite calling for the country to be banned by Uefa last year.

In November, the FAI approved a motion calling for Israel to be banned from Uefa over breaches of its codes, but this was rejected.

The countries were drawn together in Group B3 of the Nations League on Thursday and the FAI immediately issued a statement confirming the matches would go ahead.

Israel’s home game is on September 27 and Republic of Ireland’s home game is on October 4.

Daniel Lambert, the chief commercial officer of Bohemians FC, who proposed the motion at the FAI general assembly, said Israel was in breach of Uefa statutes around clubs playing in occupied territories and anti-racism policies.

He told RTE’s Morning Ireland said it was “inexplicable” that Israel had not been penalised for breaches.

Acknowledging potential financial implications, Mr Lambert said Ireland not playing Israel would be the “right thing to do”.

On Friday, the Taoiseach said the matches “should go ahead”.

Mr Martin said: “I think the FAI is taking the correct decision to fulfil the fixture.”

He said the Ireland team has “been doing very well so far” and “we wish them well”.

Asked if the away game should be held in Israel, Mr Martin said it was a matter for the footballing authorities and added: “There is no official boycott of Israel, just to make that point.

“From an Irish perspective, we’re now focusing on peace in the Middle East.”

Mr Martin said the Irish Government had “opposed very strongly” Israeli Government policy within Gaza, but said “people have to distinguish between the Government of Israel and its policies and the people of Israel”.

He told reporters in Cork: “I think sport is an area that can be challenging when it crosses into the realm of politics, but here the international sporting organisation has its rules, its framework, it’s a matter for them to deal with issues like that.”

He said there should not be security issues for the game in Ireland and the “team should be allowed play”.

Mr Martin said Irish security authorities will make decisions to “make sure the game can take place in a secure environment”.

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said on Thursday that he stands by comments he made last year questioning why Israel had not been banned from football.

The Icelandic coach said last October he could not understand why Russia had been banned by Fifa and Uefa after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, and Israel were allowed to play on despite the military assault on Gaza.

Hallgrimsson said it would be a decision for individual players whether they felt comfortable to play in the matches against Israel.

The other teams in the group are Austria and Kosovo.

The Israel Football Association has been contacted for comment.