Irish football governing body backs call for UEFA to ban Israel

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) voted overwhelmingly on Saturday for its board to request that UEFA immediately suspend Israel and its club sides from European competitions.

A resolution passed alleged violations by Israel's Football Association of two provisions of UEFA statutes: its failure to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy and the playing by Israeli clubs in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.

The resolution, proposed by one of Ireland's leading clubs, Bohemian FC, was backed by 74 votes, with seven opposed and two abstentions.

A spokesperson for UEFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Turkish and Norwegian backing

UEFA reportedly considered holding a vote last month on whether to suspend Israel from European competitions over the war in Gaza. Internal discussions at UEFA about a possible ban were set aside after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10.

The Irish resolution follows calls in September from the heads of the Turkish and Norwegian football governing bodies for Israel to be suspended from international competition.

Those requests came after UN experts appealed to FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international football, citing a UN Commission of Inquiry report that said Israel had committed genocide during the war in Gaza.

Israel has denied committing genocide and described the report as "scandalous".

US retaliation

If UEFA decided to ban Israel, it would put the organization on a collision course with the US government - co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup - which strongly opposes such an action.

Even though Europe's governing body has the power to suspend Israel or its clubs from regional competitions, it may not be able to stop them from competing in World Cup qualifiers, which fall under the global football body FIFA.

On Friday, senior US Republican lawmaker Lindsey Graham slammed the FAI vote and pledged to "make those who participate in this effort to marginalize Israel in sports, and elsewhere, pay a heavy price when it comes to access to the American economy."

Graham is one of a number of US lawmakers who criticized the Irish government's plans to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

Ireland has been one of the EU's most outspoken critics of Israel's war in Gaza.