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Football in Ireland’s governing body voted on Saturday to call on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel from the competition.
It marks the third instance of a European football national governing body calling for Israel’s suspension from UEFA, joining Norway and Turkey. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also called for Israel’s team to be suspended from international competition.
The Football Association of Ireland adopted the resolution, proposed by Irish club Bohemians, with more than 50% of its delegates supporting it.
The motion cited two alleged violations of UEFA statutes by the Israel Football Association (IFA). The first is “organizing clubs in Occupied Palestinian Territories without the consent of the Palestinian FA” and the second is “the IFA’s alleged failure to enforce an effective anti-racism policy.”
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Israeli soccer fans wave flags as Israel warms up ahead of the Europe 2026 World Cup qualifiers on October 11 in Oslo, Norway. (Fredrik Varfjell/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
The Irish body also said it would “urge UEFA to publish transparent criteria for the suspension or expulsion of member associations to ensure equal treatment for all members,” in a statement.
Israel’s national team is scheduled to conclude its World Cup qualifying campaign with a match against Moldova on November 16. The team is third in its group and cannot finish first to automatically qualify for next year’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, or even second to make the playoffs.
But growing global opposition to Israeli sports teams has put their athletes and fans at a disadvantage in 2025.
UEFA was reportedly moving towards a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September, but the proposal was put on hold. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that no action would be taken against the team on October 3 following a historic peace proposal by President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.
HOSTAGE CLAIMS ISRAELI FANS BANNED FROM UK FOOTBALL MATCHES DUE TO CONCERNS OVER PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS
Israel’s national gymnastics team was denied a visa to enter Indonesia for the World Gymnastics Championships in October.
The Indonesian government cited safety and security concerns for denying visas, but a spokesperson for the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) confirmed to Pakinomist Digital that the country’s security team granted permission to its athletes.
“We received permission from the Israeli security authorities to participate in the World Cup, subject to the necessary security protocols being in place. From our side, all preparations were completed – registration process, entry visa to Indonesia and confirmation by Israeli security authorities,” the IGF said.
Israeli men’s gymnast Eyal Indig called Indonesia’s decision “a blatant incident of discrimination based on nationality,” in an interview with Pakinomist Digital.
The Indonesian Embassy in the United States responded to Pakinomist Digital’s request for comment, saying, “The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia has no further comment to share on this matter.”
In England, fans of the Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from attending the team’s latest match against Aston Villa in the UK this week, also for security reasons. Maccabi Tel Aviv FC supporters were reportedly the target of violence in Amsterdam before and during the football team’s match against Ajax last year.
However, unrest still broke out at the match on Thursday, with anti-Israel protesters nearby.
British police said six people were arrested on Thursday ahead of the Israeli team’s match against Aston Villa in a Europa League match.
Around 200 protesters gathered near a park near Aston Villa Park’s Trinity Road stand. Those protesters included members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, according to the Associated Press. Some pro-Israel protesters were also present.
Meanwhile, Israeli cycling team Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) has lost its top sponsor despite complying with the sponsor’s request to remove the word “Israel” from the team name.
Canadian company Premier Tech announced it would end its partnership with the team in a statement released Friday.
“After several discussions with the team and careful assessment of all relevant circumstances, Premier Tech has decided to step down as co-title sponsor of the team, effective immediately,” the statement said.
“While we noted the team’s decision to change its name for the 2026 season, the primary reason why Premier Tech sponsors the team has been eclipsed to the point where it has become untenable for us to continue as a sponsor.”
In September, after agreeing to drop “Israel” from its name, the team said it “expects the team to evolve toward a new name that excludes ‘Israel,’ leading to a new identity and branding.”
Pakinomist Digital has reached out to IPT for comment.
The team was banned from an October race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, due to concerns over potentially disruptive pro-Palestine protests.
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The organizers took the decision after protesters repeatedly disrupted the recent Spanish Vuelta in the presence of Israel-Premier Tech.
Seven of the past 11 days of racing at the Vuelta were canceled or canceled because Spain’s government estimated more than 100,000 people were on the streets of Madrid during the final stage in September.
