Irish Soccer’s Governing Body to Vote on Call for UEFA to Ban Israel
Dublin (QNN)- Ireland’s soccer governing body will vote on Saturday on whether to submit a formal motion to UEFA calling for the immediate suspension of Israel from European competitions over violations in the Occupied Palestinian territories and following the two-year genocide in Gaza.
According to an agenda of the meeting seen by Reuters, the resolution, proposed and supported by some member clubs, cites the Israel Football Association’s (IFA) violation of two independent provisions of the UEFA statutes, including organizing clubs in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.
The second violation regards the failure of the IFA to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy. The motion would also call on UEFA to publish transparent criteria for the suspension or exclusion of member associations.
A spokesperson for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirmed the vote will take place.
The resolution was proposed by one of the country’s leading clubs, Bohemian FC.
“These are very serious breaches, important rules that are being ignored,” Daniel Lambert, Bohemians chief operating officer, told Reuters.
He said he was hopeful the resolution would be successful following lobbying of other clubs.
UEFA considered holding a vote early last month on whether to suspend Israel from European competitions over the war in Gaza. That did not happen after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10.
United Nations experts called for Israel’s suspension from international football in September after a UN Commission of Inquiry report concluded that Israel had committed genocide during the war in Gaza. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch, have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
The heads of the Turkish and Norwegian soccer governing bodies called for Israel to be suspended from international competition shortly after.
Ireland’s government has been one of the European Union’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s assault in Gaza. It officially recognized a Palestinian state last year and is seeking to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
On Wednesday, Amnesty International wrote to FIFA and UEFA, calling on them to suspend the Israeli football association from their tournaments until it excludes clubs based in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories from continuing to play in Israel’s football leagues.
“As Israel’s national football team gears up for World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy, Israel continues to perpetrate genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary general.
“At the same time, Israel is brutally expanding its illegal settlements and legitimising illegal outposts in the West Bank as part of its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory. It is nothing short of a disgrace that the IFA is still allowing clubs from these settlements to keep playing in its leagues, after multiple warnings for more than a decade.”
