Athletes sign open letter to Irish Men's National Team urging them to "collectively act with conscience and not play Israel"

Over 160 high-level athletes have signed an open letter to the Irish senior men's national football team urging them to "collectively act with conscience" and refuse to participate in their upcoming games against Israel.

"As athletes, we're taught that all players are equal and everyone is bound by the same rules on a level playing field," the letter, organised by Irish Sport for Palestine, reads. "But these universal rules are incompatible with the reality of sport where oppressive and discriminatory structures are reproduced.

"And nowhere is this more obvious than in Palestine, where fairness and equality are denied by the Israeli occupation and then enabled by sporting bodies."

It goes on to note that, "no player should be put in this position. The FAI, UEFA and the Irish Government have all failed you by not taking decisive action and taking this out of your hands."

"So now we appeal to you, as athletes, to act collectively with conscience ... Not playing the game would be the most sporting thing you could do."

The UEFA Nations League matches are scheduled for September 27 in Debrecen, Hungary for the “away” match, before the return “home” fixture on October 4 in Backa Topola, Serbia. Both venues for the games are considered "neutral."

On September 15, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) handed in a letter to the Department of Sport "demanding that Ireland boycotts the Nations League fixtures against apartheid Israel."

The IPSC also shared that RTÉ is set to limit coverage of the games, showing the fixtures but with no studio coverage or commentators.

The Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) backed RTÉ staff's boycott and pledged to support other workers.

In June, the Dáil Éireann rejected the motion aimed at stopping the football matches and in July, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) passed a motion in favor of proceeding with the games.

Subsequently, Irish Sport for Palestine issued a statement saying:

"FAI motion passes but does not reflect the will of Irish football, Irish fans or the Irish public ... The Stop the Game Campaign remains resolute that Ireland will not play Israel in the Nations League Championship."

Several demonstrations against the games have taken place in the past months, under the slogan of the Stop the Game campaign.

On September 5, the IPSC held a regional day of action, including marches in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Ennis, Monaghan and Waterford.

See the letter and list of signatures below.

 

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