🔗 Share this article

Ireland's football governing body has given the green light to submit a official proposal to Uefa, demanding the banning of Israel from continental team and national competitions.

Basis of the Proposed Suspension

This motion, that had been put forward by Irish side Bohemians, highlighted alleged violations by the IFA of a couple of key Uefa statutes.

• Failure to apply and uphold an proper policy against racism.
• Establishment of clubs in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.

Vote Outcome and Future Actions

As stated in an announcement from the Irish FA, the resolution was supported by 74 votes, with seven opposed and two not voting.

The association intends to officially present this request to the Uefa executive committee, seeking the immediate suspension of the Israel Football Association from European tournaments.

During a special assembly of the FAI, an standard motion was put to delegates. It passed by a majority.

Earlier European Considerations

Uefa had previously paused plans to exclude Israel at the end of September, following the announcement of a US peace proposal for the area.

While Uefa never publicly stated considering an extraordinary meeting on the issue, preparations were believed to be well developed.

Global Context

This Irish resolution comes after comparable demands in last autumn from the heads of both Turkey and Norway's governing bodies for Israel's suspension from global football.

These appeals were made after United Nations experts asked world and European football bodies to ban Israel, referencing a UN commission of inquiry report that accused the country of acts of genocide during the war in Gaza.

The Israeli government has rejected these allegations and described the findings as scandalous.

Potential Consequences

If Uefa choose to suspend the IFA, it would likely create tension with the United States government – joint hosts for the 2026 World Cup – which is firmly against such an measure.

Even though Uefa has the power to exclude Israeli teams from its tournaments, it might not be able to prevent them from competing in World Cup qualifiers, which is governed by Fifa.