Ireland Backs Call to Ban ’Israel’ From European Football

By Staff, Agencies

Ireland is now part of a rising group of countries calling for "Israel's" exclusion from European club and international football competitions.

Late on Saturday, the Football Association of Ireland [FAI] approved a motion to submit a formal resolution to Uefa, urging the suspension of "Israeli" clubs and the national team from all European football.

The move followed a proposal from Dublin club Bohemians, which argued that the "Israel" Football Association [IFA] has breached Uefa rules by failing to uphold anti-racism policies and by allowing the establishment of "clubs in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank" without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association

During the FAI's meeting, 74 members voted in favor of the motion, with seven against and two abstentions. The association later confirmed the outcome in a statement to Irish media.

"[The FAI will] submit a formal motion to the Uefa executive committee requesting the immediate suspension of the "Israel" Football Association from Uefa competitions due to its violation of two independent provisions of the Uefa statutes," the statement read.

Ireland's resolution comes amid similar calls from other Uefa member nations, including Norway and Turkey, to ban "Israel" from European competitions.

Both countries have cited a UN Commission of Inquiry report that concluded "Israel" had committed genocide during its war on Gaza.

In September, Uefa postponed discussions on banning "Israel" following the announcement of a ceasefire plan between "Israel" and Hamas brokered by US President Donald Trump.

At the time, media reports suggested that an extraordinary meeting of Uefa's executive committee was imminent before Trump's intervention.

If Uefa were to vote in favor of banning "Israel", it would put the European football body on a collision course with the United States, which is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.

However, any European ban would not prevent "Israel" from competing in World Cup qualifiers, which are overseen by FIFA.