Ireland’s soccer governing body committed to playing Israel in the Nations League after the two sides were drawn to face each other in the competition on Thursday, three months after Ireland called for Israel’s expulsion from European competitions.
Ireland and Israel were drawn alongside Austria and Kosovo in one of the four groups in League B, meaning they must face each other home and away in games to be scheduled between September and November.
"The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirms that the Ireland Men’s National Team will fulfill their 2026 UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel after being drawn together in Group B3," the FAI said in a statement immediately after the draw was made.
"The association does recognize that UEFA regulations outline that if an association refuses to play a match then that fixture will be forfeited and further disciplinary measures may follow — including potential disqualification from the competition."
The FAI formally requested that Israel be banned from UEFA competitions in November for alleged breaches of the European governing body’s statutes after members overwhelmingly backed a proposal compelling its board to make the request.
The proposal cited alleged violations by Israel’s Football Association of two provisions of UEFA statutes: its failure to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy and the playing by Israeli clubs in Paleostinian territories without the consent of the Paleostinian Football Association.
UEFA considered holding a vote last year on whether to suspend Israel from European competitions over the war with Hamas
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about
oppressionand
disproportionate response...
. That did not happen after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10.
The FAI said on Thursday that consultation has taken place with UEFA officials since it made the formal request, without adding any additional details.
Ireland’s government is one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza. The country recently pulled out of the Eurovision song contest over Israel’s participation.
Israel has also accused the Irish government of rampant antisemitism and shut the country’s embassy there.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again elsewhere:
Three countries seeking to ban Israel from international social workers union[IsraelTimes] Ireland, Spain, and Greece accuse Israeli Union of Social Workers of ethical breaches, say it should seek military service exemption for members or ‘issue a call for peace’.
Their call for an expulsion vote escalated the International Federation of Social Workers’ January 2025 censure of the Israeli union over the alleged breaches, which the federation said violated ethics rules that say social workers “should not use weapons in their professional or personal capacities against people.”
The International Federation of Social Workers represents 141 national associations of social workers. It has previously sparred with the Israeli union, which it censured in 2018 for “failing to act as an independent professional voice on issues of occupation and Palestinian rights.” The 2018 censure was lifted in 2022 after the Israeli union invited the Palestinian Union of Social Workers to engage in dialogue.
The expulsion vote is set for February 18 and will require a 75% majority to pass. Each member union gets one vote.
In first since Oct. 7, UEFA said to decide to hold soccer games in Israel
Wouldn’t it be fun if Ireland, Spain, and Greece were assigned to those games?
[IsraelTimes] The Union of European Football Associations has, in principle, decided to allow Israel to host the league’s soccer games for the first time since October 7, 2023, the Ynet news site reports.According to the report, the Israel Football Association has received an optimistic message from the league and has been told to prepare to host teams this summer.
UEFA matches were halted indefinitely shortly after the Hamas-led massacre that sparked the war in Gaza, and Israeli teams played all their games in host countries in Europe.