An editorial note re: The 42’s reporting on the Uefa Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel is available to read here.
WHEN IRELAND TAKE to the pitch against Kosovo on Thursday night, the grim reality of this Nations League window may be briefly suspended for some.
If that’s the case, it may only last as long as the 90 minutes of action in Priština. The spectre of Israel followed the Republic of Ireland set-up as they departed Dublin on Tuesday afternoon.
Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson will attend Wednesday’s pre-game press conference this morning. He was adamant at his squad announcement last week that he would not focus on the Israel issue with his players as they began to filter into camp on Sunday.
The focus, Hallgrímsson insisted, would be on the preparations to face Kosovo, a side which, like Ireland, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup last summer after defeat in the play-off. Türkiye progressed at their expense.
The Icelander’s plans may have changed since he was personally caught up in the controversy surrounding these games. His assertion, based on the findings of the United Nations, among others, that “we’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. So we’re playing against Israel. We’re not playing with Israel”, brought him into focus on Sunday.
Twenty-four hours later the Israeli FA responded with a personal attack on social media. “We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by [the Ireland] team coach. We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, We’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli FA had yet to make any kind of complaint to Uefa regarding Hallgrímsson, despite suggestions in their media that they were preparing to.
They play Austria in Linz on Thursday so perhaps they’re waiting to formalise their grievance in time for the build-up to Sunday’s game on neutral territory in Debrecen.
That would be just what this fixture needs.
The FAI already planned for a scaled-back approach to their designated home game, moved behind closed doors in Serbia on 4 October – such as not hosting their counterparts for any pre-match reception or formalities – and this is likely to be reciprocated.
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The FAI, naturally, quickly became aware of the Israeli FA’s personal attack on Hallgrímsson, but it’s understood they have no wish to get into a back and forth publicly.
Instead, those acerbic words about the Ireland manager linger in the air, although the Taoiseach did comment.
“I think those are unacceptable remarks, and they should be withdrawn,” Micheál Martin said.
“Israel can’t keep denying what the world knows and what the world understands. Israel should let the world into Gaza and should let the world media into Gaza and world leaders into Gaza.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on sport Joanna Byrne TD said the Israeli FA were attempting to “bully and provoke someone representing our country on the international stage,” adding that “if the FAI truly had their players’ interests at heart, then they would have made the brave but correct decision to refuse to fulfil these fixtures.”
Hallgrímsson is likely to be sitting alongside captain Dara O’Shea in Nathan Collins’ absence on Wednesday morning.
Ipswich Town defender O’Shea will be in the spotlight just like Ipswich Town minority-owner Ed Sheeran.
Hallgrímsson will be faced with the remarks of the Israeli FA in the build up to the Kosovo game. Whether he wishes to engage is another matter.
So much has already been said, with the focus centring on issues of morality and what is just. The ongoing devastation of Gaza has continued throughout.
Just this week, there was also a report in Australian media about 600 wheelchairs donated from a charity in the country called ‘Wheelchairs for Kids’ destined for Palestinian children.
However, they remain locked away in a shipping container in Jordan because Israeli authorities refused a request 18 months ago for the wheelchairs to be delivered as part of a humanitarian package.
The reason?
The Israelis see the wheelchairs as items that can be dismantled and used as weapons.
And on to this week, as Israel are afforded the luxury of participating in sport on the international stage.
Amid that backdrop, the FAI have already reduced media commitments to the bare minimum that are mandated by Uefa. This extended to photographers not being permitted to training sessions on Monday and Tuesday.
The Israeli FA statement came to light on Monday evening, not long after over 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter to the men’s international team imploring them to boycott these games with Israel.
These remarks came to light on the same day that over 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter to the men’s international team imploring them to boycott these games with Israel.
This may be an extended international window but the essence of it can be distilled down to the sentiment surrounding Israel’s continued participation in international sport.
That letter, which was published by Irish Sport for Palestine, as part of the Stop The Game Campaign, contained signatures from such leading Irish sporting figures as Olympian Ciara Mageean, former women’s international defender Louise Quinn, and Tony Ward, one of the Irish rugby stars who joined a boycott of a tour of apartheid South Africa.
The letter was at pains to point out that the Ireland players have been let down by Uefa for not adhering to their own statutes, as well as the FAI refusing to stand alone among the 55 nations in the European association by boycotting Israel.
Before an Extraordinary General Meeting called to support a motion not to fulfil the Nations League fixtures, the FAI wrote to members of the General Assembly earlier this year with figures that claimed boycotting the Israel games could lead to a loss of revenue up to €10 million.
FAI chief executive David Courell confirmed in various media engagements last week that Uefa had not confirmed to him what the punishment would be and said no threats about harsh sanctions had been made.
The Irish Examiner detailed on Tuesday how Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were punished by Uefa with 3-0 defeats and, in one instance, a fine of €5,000, when they refused to play Belarus in women’s and underage competitions between 2024 and May of this year.
“This is contrary to the doomsday scenario presented by the FAI board to its delegates’,” Joanna Byrne said. “These acts of deception can be forgiven if, even at this eleventh hour, the FAI to do the right thing and refuse to fulfil these fixtures.”
But first to Kosovo, although it’s hardly the item that will be top of the agenda.
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Spectre of Israel follows Ireland ahead of Nations League opener in Kosovo
An editorial note re: The 42’s reporting on the Uefa Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel is available to read here.
WHEN IRELAND TAKE to the pitch against Kosovo on Thursday night, the grim reality of this Nations League window may be briefly suspended for some.
If that’s the case, it may only last as long as the 90 minutes of action in Priština. The spectre of Israel followed the Republic of Ireland set-up as they departed Dublin on Tuesday afternoon.
Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson will attend Wednesday’s pre-game press conference this morning. He was adamant at his squad announcement last week that he would not focus on the Israel issue with his players as they began to filter into camp on Sunday.
The focus, Hallgrímsson insisted, would be on the preparations to face Kosovo, a side which, like Ireland, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup last summer after defeat in the play-off. Türkiye progressed at their expense.
The Icelander’s plans may have changed since he was personally caught up in the controversy surrounding these games. His assertion, based on the findings of the United Nations, among others, that “we’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. So we’re playing against Israel. We’re not playing with Israel”, brought him into focus on Sunday.
Twenty-four hours later the Israeli FA responded with a personal attack on social media. “We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by [the Ireland] team coach. We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, We’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli FA had yet to make any kind of complaint to Uefa regarding Hallgrímsson, despite suggestions in their media that they were preparing to.
They play Austria in Linz on Thursday so perhaps they’re waiting to formalise their grievance in time for the build-up to Sunday’s game on neutral territory in Debrecen.
That would be just what this fixture needs.
The FAI already planned for a scaled-back approach to their designated home game, moved behind closed doors in Serbia on 4 October – such as not hosting their counterparts for any pre-match reception or formalities – and this is likely to be reciprocated.
The FAI, naturally, quickly became aware of the Israeli FA’s personal attack on Hallgrímsson, but it’s understood they have no wish to get into a back and forth publicly.
Instead, those acerbic words about the Ireland manager linger in the air, although the Taoiseach did comment.
“I think those are unacceptable remarks, and they should be withdrawn,” Micheál Martin said.
“Israel can’t keep denying what the world knows and what the world understands. Israel should let the world into Gaza and should let the world media into Gaza and world leaders into Gaza.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on sport Joanna Byrne TD said the Israeli FA were attempting to “bully and provoke someone representing our country on the international stage,” adding that “if the FAI truly had their players’ interests at heart, then they would have made the brave but correct decision to refuse to fulfil these fixtures.”
Hallgrímsson is likely to be sitting alongside captain Dara O’Shea in Nathan Collins’ absence on Wednesday morning.
Ipswich Town defender O’Shea will be in the spotlight just like Ipswich Town minority-owner Ed Sheeran.
Hallgrímsson will be faced with the remarks of the Israeli FA in the build up to the Kosovo game. Whether he wishes to engage is another matter.
So much has already been said, with the focus centring on issues of morality and what is just. The ongoing devastation of Gaza has continued throughout.
Just this week, there was also a report in Australian media about 600 wheelchairs donated from a charity in the country called ‘Wheelchairs for Kids’ destined for Palestinian children.
However, they remain locked away in a shipping container in Jordan because Israeli authorities refused a request 18 months ago for the wheelchairs to be delivered as part of a humanitarian package.
The reason?
The Israelis see the wheelchairs as items that can be dismantled and used as weapons.
And on to this week, as Israel are afforded the luxury of participating in sport on the international stage.
Amid that backdrop, the FAI have already reduced media commitments to the bare minimum that are mandated by Uefa. This extended to photographers not being permitted to training sessions on Monday and Tuesday.
The Israeli FA statement came to light on Monday evening, not long after over 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter to the men’s international team imploring them to boycott these games with Israel.
These remarks came to light on the same day that over 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter to the men’s international team imploring them to boycott these games with Israel.
This may be an extended international window but the essence of it can be distilled down to the sentiment surrounding Israel’s continued participation in international sport.
That letter, which was published by Irish Sport for Palestine, as part of the Stop The Game Campaign, contained signatures from such leading Irish sporting figures as Olympian Ciara Mageean, former women’s international defender Louise Quinn, and Tony Ward, one of the Irish rugby stars who joined a boycott of a tour of apartheid South Africa.
The letter was at pains to point out that the Ireland players have been let down by Uefa for not adhering to their own statutes, as well as the FAI refusing to stand alone among the 55 nations in the European association by boycotting Israel.
Before an Extraordinary General Meeting called to support a motion not to fulfil the Nations League fixtures, the FAI wrote to members of the General Assembly earlier this year with figures that claimed boycotting the Israel games could lead to a loss of revenue up to €10 million.
FAI chief executive David Courell confirmed in various media engagements last week that Uefa had not confirmed to him what the punishment would be and said no threats about harsh sanctions had been made.
The Irish Examiner detailed on Tuesday how Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were punished by Uefa with 3-0 defeats and, in one instance, a fine of €5,000, when they refused to play Belarus in women’s and underage competitions between 2024 and May of this year.
“This is contrary to the doomsday scenario presented by the FAI board to its delegates’,” Joanna Byrne said. “These acts of deception can be forgiven if, even at this eleventh hour, the FAI to do the right thing and refuse to fulfil these fixtures.”
But first to Kosovo, although it’s hardly the item that will be top of the agenda.
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