Ireland

Ireland Urged to Boycott Israel UEFA Fixtures

Should Ireland boycott Israel fixtures in a stand for justice or would it be selective outrage that helps no one?

Published 14 hours ago

Ireland Urged to Boycott Israel UEFA Fixtures

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Above: A Fans Against Israel Ireland banner at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry March 13, 2026. Image credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile/Getty Images

The Spin

Anti-Israel narrative

The FAI needs to stop hiding behind UEFA rules and do what's right — boycott the Israel fixtures. High-profile figures in Irish soccer, Sinn Féin politicians and artists have all signed on to demand action, and the FAI's own general assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a boycott. Ireland led the way against apartheid South Africa, and there's no reason it can't lead again now.

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Pro-Israel narrative

The push to boycott Israel reeks of selective outrage — nobody's demanding Ireland refuse to play Qatar or Iran, despite those regimes' well-documented atrocities. Anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland has crossed into something far darker, with Irish parliamentarians openly using dehumanizing language about Israelis. Forfeiting those matches won't help Palestinians; it'll just hand Israel six free points while confirming a bias the whole world can already see.

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