Football Association of Ireland Backs Motion Seeking European Football Ban on Israel
Ireland's football governing body has given the green light to present a formal motion to European football's governing body, calling for the exclusion of Israel from continental team and national tournaments.
Basis of the Proposed Suspension
The resolution, that had been proposed by Irish side Bohemians, highlighted alleged violations by the IFA of a couple of key Uefa statutes.
- Failure to implement and enforce an proper anti-racism policy.
- Organisation of football teams in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.
Ballot Results and Future Actions
As stated in an announcement from the FAI, the resolution was supported by 74 votes, with 7 opposed and two abstentions.
The association plans to formally submit this motion to the Uefa executive committee, seeking the prompt ban of the Israel Football Association from Uefa competitions.
In an extraordinary general meeting of the FAI, an standard motion was put to delegates. It was approved by a majority.
Earlier European Deliberations
Uefa had earlier paused intentions to exclude Israeli football at the close of last month, following the announcement of Donald Trump's proposed peace plan for the region.
Although they never publicly stated considering an extraordinary meeting on the matter, preparations were believed to be quite advanced.
International Context
This Irish move follows comparable calls in September from the heads of Turkish and Norwegian football associations for Israel's suspension from international competition.
Those requests were issued after UN specialists asked Fifa and Uefa to suspend the Israeli FA, referencing a UN investigation that accused the country of acts of genocide during the Gaza conflict.
The Israeli government has rejected these allegations and described the report as outrageous.
Possible Consequences
Should European football's authority decide to suspend Israel, it would likely strain relations with the United States government – co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup – which strongly opposes such an measure.
Even though the European body has the authority to suspend Israel or its clubs from European competitions, it may not be able to prevent them from taking part in qualification for the World Cup, which falls under Fifa.