Ireland vs Israel - To play or not to play, that is the question Read OP for Mod Warning

Current Irish squad is poor, and have always struggled against opponents of the Israeli ability. Depending on what happens over the next few months, it could even be under another Irish manager.

Its the fashionability.

absolutely not - I believe that the team and Irish organisation would gain MUCH more in the long run by refusing to play this rogue state .
I have no doubt that the vast majority of the public would support the decision (and would be interested to see a national poll on the issue)

gain much more what? And what would any poll prove? Vast majority people here in Ireland couldn’t give a fiddlers about a conflict decades old between foreign peoples.

This ridiculous OTT debate about whether or not we should play a soccer match against Israel is nothing more than media hype. Most most people don’t give a sh1te..

If this was any other country other than Israel 1000s a miles away in a foreign conflict, there wouldn’t be a peep from us

Yes, draw only made Thursday and already wall to wall bullshit about whether or not we should play!! We will play, and we should play!!!

I think Isreal are pricks and committing genocide and should be kicked out.

But if they are not. It should be played, unfortunately we’d be penalised and they would benefit with 6 points. Possibly even qualifying.

Defo none of their fans should be allowed to enter the stadium.
Play it in Tallaght or cork.

I’d be interested in hearing what Finn Azaz view is. I’d say it’s a tough time For Him

You aer clearly very unaware of what happens in the real world . there’s a huge difference between Palestinians and Hamas.
it’s pricks( I’m not calling you a prick , but your message made you come across as one ) like you who try to justify genocide

Hamas, the IDF and isrelai government are eveil pricks

Palestinians are lovely decent people who had as much to do with OcT 7th as you did with the Canary Wharf bombing , omagh bombing and Warrington bombing

Mod: Warned for personal abuse

Well said. Similarly when Guinness sponsored the GAA Hurling Championship there were the usual perpetually outraged folk calling for the axe, the same ones who happily cheered on whatever province in the Heineken Cup.

we had a grand parent rule , not a great, great X 80 parent rule

The chap is 80 generations away. Which in itself is mad, but madder when the country was only founded in 1948

The Irish national team isn't just competing against Israel, we're also competing against Austria, Kosovo and possibly other teams if we reach the Nations League play-offs, so I don't why one is more justified than the other. We're also competing against every other country for ranking points, which determine the teams you face in qualifiers and tournaments. The higher you are ranked, the easier the opponents you face.

Football only gets more attention because it's more popular. Most people, including myself, weren't aware we competed against Israelis Olympians in the last couple of weeks because winter sports are pretty niche. That's the only difference.