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

You'd hope the players would be proud to have played for Ireland.

The FAI already tried to bring a motion and it got no support.

Israel have some very powerful allies so I dont think the FAI boycotting the games is going to be as powerful a gesture as some think.

Did South Africa have similar powerful support from the likes of USA in the 80s?

Its also financial suicide for the FAI and would lead to jobs losses and have major implications for football industry in this country. And all for some virtue signalling nonsense to make some people feel good about themselves.

Why are you unable to understand that the FAI have considerable obligations to their staff which are heavily dependent on matches being played in order to pay them.??

You talk about menial consequences yet you fail to acknowledge the serious consequences for the FAI and its employees if they boycott the games and lose out on €10-€15m or more.

The facts are...

The FAI tabled a motion to UEFA and it got no support. None. Nada.

If the FAI boycott the games, there will be financial and sporting repercussions. That we know.

The FAI will face serious financial issues and that results in pay cuts redundancies etc.

And Israel walk away with 6 points and ever other FA in UEFA will know not to boycott games if they are drawn with them.

Israel win, Ireland lose and nothing changes.

I have never once stated support for Israel. Not once. Be very careful about making such false allegations.

MODERATORS - THIS IS A FALSE ALLEGATION WITH NO SUBSTANCE. CAN YOU PLEASE DO YOUR JOBS

I ALSO EXPECT A FULL RETRACTION ON THIS THREAD FROM THE PERSON MAKING THE ALLEGATION.

People who think the FAI boycotting two games is going to garner mass support around europe/world is virtue signalling.

They already tabled a motion, got no support. But yeah let's make sacrificial lambs of the FAI and their staff for a sense of moral superiority. Easy to make that call to boycott when the consequences dont impact you.

Would other people calling for boycott be willing to sacrifice their salaries for months on end and risk losing their homes in solidarity with the FAI staff who face an uncertain future? Id say they wouldnt.

You hit the nail on the head though. The USA/Israel axis. So long as Israel is backed by D.C. then it wont matter one jot what the FAI do. Other associations in UEFA already made their position clear when the FAI tables the motion. No body jumped in to support them.

The various South African bans were because there was discrimination within the relevant sporting organisations (reflecting how SA society was strutured then).

Writing in capital letters means business!

Jokes aside, I've reread that post you are replying to, and don't see a claim in it that you "support Israel" (unless I am missing something)?

Also for someone so vociferously against certain accusations, it is amusing to see you render those who don't don't share the apathy you seem to hold towards the Gaza war as mere "virtue signallers".

It is a disgrace that Israel are still playing international football, and that our players and those involved in the team are in a position that they have to make these "virtue signalling" choices on whether to play a country we all know is committing a genocide - because our collective leaders in the west won't do the right thing, difficult as it may be.

Israel should have been sanctioned to high heavens by now - as any other nation committing these acts would be - barred from world sport, and all other competitions that are there to build bonds between the nations of the world. You would wonder how many lives could have been saved if the law was applied to them equally.

Outside of a few on the internet, few Irish people will think of the team as "virtue signallers" if they don't play. They will be making a principled stand, which nobody has made in any real way since Israel started their Gaza campaign - and look where the world has gone amidst this environment of silence and apathy?

Their protest may not make a difference, but I would be proud of them for at least standing up to it. I don't think, if they would do this, it would be done without discussions with FAI staff either.

And if they choose to play, because as I said, they should never be put in this position - I would fully back them and hope we beat Israel off the park.

Why do you support Israel's genocide of the Palestinians?

At no point have I ever said i support the actions of the Israeli state. Just because I support the FAIs decision to fulfil their fixtures (as decided by a UEFA draw) doesn't equate to supporting the actions of Israeli state.

Ive worked, along time ago now, in environments where redundancies were happening, pay cuts etc and the uncertainty and worry that brings is not nice. Its a hugely stressful situation to be in. I dont see any reason, not one, why the FAI should put themselves or their employees in that situation. Life is hard enough without organisations committing financial suicide for the morals.

Tell me how and his ilk are virtue signalling. Its posturing for the sake of it and its easy for these types to take the moral high ground approach when they aren't the ones who have to deal with the consequences.

Russia got banned because they are not the friends of the USA. Israel havent been banned because they the USA is their friend. And the proposed FAI boycott isnt going to lead to the sort of support some fools In This country think will lead to sanctions on Israel. If Israel were to be sanctioned it would have already happened IMO.

Nobody supported the FAI motion 6 months ago, FIFA went out of their way to elevate Trumps status at the WC draw and only 2 weeks ago thousands of Ireland soccer fans were hoping we would qualify for the world cup and Potentially embark on a summer in USA at the world cup. So much for the moral high ground when going to the world cup hosted by Israel's biggest ally was high on people's agenda.

Why do you support Israel's genocide of the Palestinians?

You are saying I support Israeli actions in Palestine and are asking me why.

At no point have i ever suggested I support Israel or the actions of Israel.

Ive never once offered support for Israel. Not once. Just because i support the FAI and their employees does not equate to supporting Israel

The FAI are not responsible for holding Israel state to account by offering themselves and their employees as sacrificial lambs when all the evidence of the last 6 months points to zero support for the motion tabled TO UEFA by the FAI nor the full support given to Trump by FIFA.

I am working off facts. Cold hard facts. You are working off iffs buts and maybes, some fairytale ideology and shoulda woulda Coulda.

Also, Irish soccer fans spent the last 4 or 5 months dreaming of qualification in a world Cup, Being co hosted in USA (Israels biggest ally). So much for solidarity with Palestine.

The topic is whether Ireland should play israel or not.

Because I support the FAI, means I support the FAI. If you choose to invent other stuff in your head then thats on you. Not me