Dáil rejects motion to stop Ireland-Israel matches

Dáil Éireann has rejected opposition motions aimed at stopping the upcoming Ireland-Israel football matches. The Government proposed amendments to the motions, stating that the fixtures were a matter for the FAI. The amended motions were supported by 81 votes to 68 votes.

Ireland’s men’s team is scheduled to face Israel in the UEFA Nations League, with an initial match on 27 September at a neutral venue, followed by a return in Dublin on 4 October. The October game is likely to be moved from the Aviva Stadium, pending UEFA approval, with a venue in Hungary currently under consideration. The FAI Board of Directors is expected to meet on Thursday to finalise this decision.

Government Ministers opposed the motions, arguing that the State has no formal role in organising sporting fixtures and that responsibility remains with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue confirmed that the FAI is actively consulting with footballing authorities in Norway, Israel, and Palestine, while also working alongside the Garda regarding security implications.

Sinn Féin proposed that the Government support the FAI in a potential boycott, requesting that the State cover any resulting fines and restrict visas for senior Israeli officials attempting to attend the match. Social Democrats advocated for the exclusion of Israel from all sporting competitions.

“We are not trying to penalize the sporting community; we are not trying to set them back. As individual beings and as individual nations, we have to stand up and say no,” said Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney. “This genocide is unique because we are all seeing the atrocities, and we are all aghast because we are seeing the inaction of the government.”

“Israel should not even be in the Nations League competition,” said Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne. “The UEFA should’ve expelled them as soon as they went into GAZA on an ethnic cleansing mission that has seen tens of thousands murdered. Sports cannot be separated from justice and humanity, and this is an opportunity to take a stand.”

The #StopTheGame campaign has organised protests across Dublin over recent months, and an open letter drafted in February calling for a boycott has been signed by numerous high-profile figures. Signatories include artists Fontaines D.C., Kneecap, Christy Moore, and Tom Morello, and athletes Greg Bolger, Ryan Burke, and more.

A recent video posted by Irish Sport for Palestine features Brian Berr, Moore, Gerry Adams, and Bobby Gillespie in which they say: “I know the difference between right and wrong. 6 points or 75 thousand lives. I’ve got a heart. Ireland has an opportunity to stand up for what is right. We are not willing to sports-wash genocide.”