Ireland leads campaign to ban Israel from football tournaments | sports

Tomorrow, Saturday, the Irish Football Association intends to vote on a proposal calling on the European Football Association (UEFA) to ban Israel from participating in its competitions immediately, according to what Reuters revealed, based on the agenda of the upcoming meeting.

The proposal states that the Israeli Football Association violated two provisions of the UEFA statute, the first of which is organizing clubs within the occupied Palestinian territories without the approval of the Palestinian Federation, which is considered a direct violation of the European Union’s regulations for the game.

The second item relates to the failure of the Israeli Federation to implement an effective anti-racism policy, which is one of the basic conditions for federations’ membership within the UEFA system.

The proposal also called for setting clear and transparent criteria for suspending or excluding member associations that violate basic laws.

Bohemian Club leads the action against Israel

The proposal came at the initiative of Bohemian FC, one of the most prominent clubs in Ireland, which explicitly called for official action from the Irish Federation to put pressure on UEFA.

Bohemian FC Chief Operating Officer Daniel Lambert told Reuters: “These are very serious violations, and important rules are being ignored. We hope that the decision will be adopted with the support of other clubs in the country.”

A spokesman for the Irish Football Association confirmed that the vote would take place as scheduled, while a UEFA spokesman declined to comment on the matter, and there has been no response from the Israeli Football Association yet.

Political and humanitarian background

This step comes in light of the continuing controversy over Israel’s participation in European championships, as reports had spoken of UEFA’s intention to consider suspending its membership last October, but the proposal was not put to a vote after the ceasefire in Gaza entered into force on October 10, 2024, with American mediation.

Israel began its military aggression against Gaza after an attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which led to the death of more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children, and caused a severe humanitarian crisis and a widespread need for food and aid.

The importance of voting against Israel

This vote is the first of its kind within a European national federation calling on UEFA to take an official position towards Israel, which may open the door to a broader debate within European federations about the extent to which member states adhere to the federation’s moral and political standards in light of armed conflicts.