Irish Football Association urges UEFA to ban 'Israel from competitions
3 Min Read
The Football Association of Ireland calls on UEFA to suspend the Israeli Football Association over racism and illegal club activity in occupied Palestine.
-
Celtic fans waving a Palestinian flag hold smoke flares during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Celtic FC at the BVB Stadion in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 (AP)
Members of the Football Association of Ireland agreed on Saturday to a motion directing the board to formally request that UEFA suspend the Israeli Football Association from its competitions, a source who attended the meeting said.
According to the source, the decision is based on allegations against the Israeli Football Association of committing two serious breaches of UEFA regulations: The first being the failure to implement an effective anti-racism policy and the second being the organization of clubs within the occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.
The Irish decision marks the first official move by a European national association calling for punitive measures against the Israeli Football Association, at a time when criticism of "Israel" is mounting in both sports circles and the international community over its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In September 2025, Amnesty International issued a direct appeal to both FIFA and UEFA to suspend the Israeli Football Association unless it excluded clubs operating in illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank. The organization emphasized that "Israel’s" continued violations of international law should not be legitimized through sporting participation, pointing specifically to the operation of clubs on occupied Palestinian land without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.
That same month, UN human rights experts echoed the call, urging "Israel’s" suspension from international football bodies. The United Nations’ special rapporteurs cited the scale of civilian suffering in Gaza and the impunity of the Israeli regime as grounds for immediate action, warning that football institutions risk becoming complicit if they remain silent or inactive in the face of such violations.
On the club level, tensions surfaced during a European match in Amsterdam in November 2024 involving Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Clashes broke out around the stadium amid heightened public anger over the war on Gaza, leading to arrests and sparking renewed debate on the inclusion of Israeli teams in continental competitions. The violence highlighted the growing difficulty of separating sport from escalating political realities.
On August 20, 2025, the Italian Coaches' Association formally called on both FIFA and UEFA to suspend "Israel" from international football tournaments, citing the Israeli war on Gaza.
In October 2025, fans of Celtic FC made headlines when the Green Brigade displayed a bold banner accusing UEFA of being “complicit in genocide” during a Europa League match. The statement came during ongoing protests against "Israel's" war on Gaza and reflected the growing readiness of football supporters to challenge European institutions over their perceived neutrality in the face of human rights violations.
