Ireland: 63% of Irish footballers say ‘no’ to Israel fixture

Professional footballers in Ireland have strongly rejected the Irish men’s football team playing their Nations League fixture against the genocidal land theft project that uses the name ‘Israel’. Meanwhile, the Professional Footballers Association Ireland (PFAI) conducted a survey involving:

…214 players from professional clubs across the League of Ireland Men’s Premier Division, the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division, and the League of Ireland Men’s First Division…

They were asked:

Should Ireland fulfil the fixtures against Israel in the Nations League?

63% of respondents said the matches should not be played, with 37% saying they should. 66% said they would not attend the home fixture in Dublin were it to go ahead. Players were also asked the reasons for not attending. 14% cited “safety concerns”, while 79% said they wouldn’t go for “moral reasons”.

The PFAI’s chairperson Roberto Lopes responded to the results by saying:

League of Ireland players are an essential voice in Irish football, and their views deserve to be listened to. The majority opinion expressed in this survey is clear, and it reflects the principles and concerns of players who care deeply about the game and its values. It’s important that their voice is heard and respected as discussions around these fixtures continue.

FAI proceed with fixture

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) don’t seem quite so interested in moral reasons, however. They instead appear more concerned with petty sporting concerns when they have a major opportunity to strike a blow in support of desperate Palestinians still being genocided by the Zionist entity.

FAI president Paul Cooke confirmed as much in a letter sent to the association members, in which he says:

After taking legal advice, engaging with key stakeholders and reflecting on our constitutional obligations, we have decided that the Football Association of Ireland will fulfil both fixtures and will host the home match at the Aviva Stadium as scheduled.

He continued:

From a footballing perspective, a decision not to play would have serious consequences. It would result in the forfeiture of six points, could lead to relegation to League C of the Nations League and would damage our seeding for EURO 2028 qualification as well as our overall FIFA ranking.

Such outcomes would materially harm the long-term sporting interests of Irish football.

The outcome of failing to ostracise the Zionist pseudo-state is continued mass death and displacement for Palestinians, and potentially for others in West Asia. The terror regime continues to menace Iran, with the end result likely being a war that will set the whole region ablaze, and possibly beyond.

The FAI certainly doesn’t bear sole responsibility for countering that. What it should be doing, however, is signaling that it does not want to play the fixture, and calling for other nations around Europe to join it in a coordinated boycott of so-called ‘Israel’.

Instead, they are saying:

We intend to use the home fixture as an opportunity to provide tangible support for humanitarian efforts assisting civilians affected by the conflict. Further details will be outlined closer to the match.

A duty to act during a genocide

This sounds like it may try and blackmail the fixture’s opponents with something like a percentage of ticket sales going to relief efforts in Palestine. In reality, of course, the only thing that will bring permanent relief to Palestinians is pushing the criminal Zionist entity into a corner through total exclusion from world cultural and sporting events.

Charity is a short-term balm, limited even more by the fact that the illegal settler-colony is still preventing anything like the needed level of aid from reaching people in Gaza.

The FAI don’t even seem willing to acknowledge the reality of what’s going on in Gaza. Instead, they say:

The board also wishes to reiterate that no one within the Association is dismissive of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The suffering of civilians is deeply distressing, and the concerns expressed by members are grounded in genuine compassion and principle. While our role is to safeguard Irish football, we do not ignore the broader context in which these fixtures arise.

“Humanitarian catastrophe” makes it sounds like a natural disaster akin to what follows a tsunami or earthquake. It’s no such thing – it’s a holocaust perpetrated by criminal land thieves that need to be held to account. The Association claims its “role” is simply to “safeguard Irish football”. However, in the midst of a genocide, no one can justify hiding behind their job title. Moreover, placing limitations on what their role ought to be is unjustifiable.

Everyone—everyone—has a duty, both moral – and legal under the Genocide Convention to do everything in their power to act. After being drawn against ‘Israel’, the FAI have more of a role to play than most. Additionally, to not use it would be a historic disgrace.

Featured image via the Canary