Playing Israel 'normalises violations of international law’

Deputy Charles Ward believes the upcoming UEFA Nations League clashes between the Republic of Ireland and Israel should be cancelled

Published 11th Jun 2026, 07:02 BST Updated 11th Jun 2026, 18:14 BST Charles Ward, 100% Redress Party TD | Donegal Live Deputy Charles Ward believes the upcoming UEFA Nations League clashes between the Republic of Ireland and Israel should be cancelled A Donegal TD has called for the upcoming Nations League games between Ireland and Israel to be called off.

Charles Ward TD, 100% Redress Party, has criticised UEFA after the governing body previously stated that “everyone should be able to enjoy football, regardless of who they are, where they are from or how they play the game.”

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Ireland is due to play Israel twice in Group B3 of the competition, with the first game, which is officially an Israeli home fixture, scheduled for September 27, moved to Debrecen in Hungary.

Israel were due to play the return in Dublin on October 4, only for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to confirm the match will also be contested at a neutral venue, which is as yet to be announced. The group also includes Kosovo and Austria

The FAI has confirmed that the team will fulfil its scheduled fixtures against Israel, despite intense political pushback, fan protests, and an internal rebellion from its own membership.

Following the draw in February, the FAI released a statement to say they would play, but with Israel’s campaign in the Middle East intensifying and illegal settlements continuing to expand in the West Bank, a Stop The Game protest group is continuing the push to boycott the fixtures.

The FAI General Assembly previously voted by a 93% majority to mandate the FAI to formally lobby UEFA to ban Israel from international competitions.

The footballing body followed this up by saying the fixture will take place outside of the country.

Charlie McConalogue vows not to attend Ireland v Israel matches 'I am a dad, I am a husband and I've got a heart' Deputy Ward said: ‘‘We cannot allow Israel to use sport to normalise its crimes against the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people have not been given the freedom to enjoy football or any other sport.

According to the Palestinian Football Association, Israeli forces have killed 1,007 members of Gaza’s sports community from October 2023 to February 2026. 184 sports facilities, stadiums, halls, and headquarters have been destroyed, and a further 81 facilities have been partially destroyed. Some stadiums have been turned into shelters for displaced people.

“Israel has stripped the Palestinian people of the opportunity to play, watch and enjoy football, and yet there are no consequences for this,” Ward added. “It is often said that there is no place for politics in sport, but sport is inherently political; it reflects and shapes wider social, economic, and political relations. Playing an Israeli team is a political act; it normalises violations of international law.”

Refusing to play would breach UEFA regulations and would trigger an automatic match forfeiture, heavy fines, potential group disqualification, and relegation to League C. The FAI warned that a boycott would severely damage Ireland's technical ranking, heavily impacting their qualification chances for Euro 2028, which Ireland is co-hosting.

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