Copyright GIVEMESPORT
The governing body for football in the Republic of Ireland has approved a resolution which calls on UEFA to suspend Israel and its club sides from European competition. The proposal, which had been tabled by leading Dublin-based club Bohemians, called for Israel's suspension due to them "violating two independent provisions of the UEFA statutes." The ballot was carried by 74 votes to seven, and the FAI will now submit a formal motion to European football's governing body over the alleged violations. There has been increasing scrutiny on Israel's involvement in European football since the beginning of the Gaza war. More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the October 7th 2023 attacks by Hamas, according to Gaza's health ministry, with the United Nations Commission of Inquiry ruling that the country had committed genocide against the Palestinian people after an investigation. Israel has denied those accusations. Nevertheless, athletes came together in September this year to request that Israel was withdrawn from the 2026 World Cup amid the war. And in October, FIFA chose to postpone any ban on Israel, despite football's world governing body being under pressure to act. The motion tabled by Bohemians on Saturday was co-signed by Shmarock Rovers, Shelbourne, Cork City, the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland and several supporters' groups and student leagues. The two violations cited in the motion were the "organisation of clubs in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association" and the "failure to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy." They will also call on UEFA to publish "transparent criteria for the suspension or exclusion of member associations to ensure equal treatment of all members." Demands will now be tabled for both UEFA and FIFA to suspend Israel from international football. Although reports in September suggested that the European governing body may hold a vote on whether to suspend Israel, chances of that happening were impacted following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In a statement, per the Irish Times, the FAI said: "The board of directors of the FAI is hereby instructed to and shall, without delay, submit a formal motion to the UEFA executive committee requesting the immediate suspension of the Israel FA (IFA) from UEFA competitions due to its violating two independent provisions of the UEFA statutes." Currently, Israel's national side are playing in European qualifiers for the World Cup next summer and Maccabi Tel Aviv are competing in the Europa League. The latter was a big talking point ahead of their match against Aston Villa this week, with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticising the West Midlands Police banning their supporters from the ground due to safety concerns. Several arrests were also made ahead of the game, as pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups clashed. United States Oppose Israel Ban The introduction of a ban on Israel would put UEFA at odds with the United States government, who will host the 2026 World Cup. President Donald Trump and his administration have given their support to the country and would strongly oppose any ban. On Friday, US Republican senator Lindsey Graham critcised the FAI for holding a vote on the matter, stating that Ireland would "pay a heavy price" for trying to ban Israel from the sport. He said: "Ireland and others would be punishing the Jewish people 80 years after the Holocaust because they choose to fight back against terrorist groups who wish to kill all the Jews. Hamas started this war. Hamas has put civilians at risk to continue this war. And Hamas is a radical Islamic terrorist group dedicated to the destruction of Israel. They must be defeated militarily and politically. "If these attacks against Israel continue, I will do everything in my power to make those who participate in this effort to marginalise Israel in sports, and elsewhere, pay a heavy price when it comes to access to the American economy."
