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

Nope thats quite clearly not what i said.

You stated FIFA banned Russia. I think the context is important, FIFA along with practically everyone else banned Russia. Within a week. Some took action the very same day Russia attacked Ukraine such as the HAAS formula one team (An American Team) who removed the the russian title sponsor livery from its trucks and Car while in Bahrain.

Has anyone done likewise with Israel?

FIFA/UEFA banning Israel would be an outlier versus the rest of the world ATM. Israel sent a team to the Paris olympics in 2024 being a Prime example. Nobody demanded the Irish olympians boycott those games because they would have had to share a world stage with Israeli's.

Couldn't make it up

Russia, THE NATION, were banned from practically everything on the sporting front, bar a few athletes competing under the neutral banner. Russian footballers are still playing for clubs outside of Russia AFAIK. But Russia as a nation do not compete.

Israel have been banned from nothing.

Your "collective" is very vague. The collective banning of Russia was largely sports wide. And it was political.

Ive no problem with sporting bodies (FIFA UEFA, IOC etc) making those decisions. Thats their prerogative.

Except it hasn't been debunked. Even the Taoiseach says the boycott would achieve nothing.

Your point is nonsense though. You want a selective boycott so long as it doesn't impact on your life.

Its a bit like the Dublin footballers refusing interviews if Allianz is on the media board, but if they got a serious injury playing for Dublin they would take the money from the income protection insurance Allianz provides for them.

What ever you say chief

The government cannot choose to fill a financial gap to facilitate a boycott as thats political interference which will get the FAI banned by UEFA/FIFA.

And the Government should not be doing that regardless. Otherwise where does it end?

The FAI have debts of 40m. The Nations league is worth somewhere in the region of €20-25m (income for the year is usually around €60m) between three homes games and TV rights. They simply cannot sacrifice that money.

You may not like it , but Money is important. Its an essential part of life.

The Dunnes thing is irrelevant. That was people with no real responsibilities in life making a decision that impacted on nobody but themselves. I dont think they make the same decision if they were 10 years older with a mortgage and a family to provide for.

The government also have to view the bigger picture. There is a significant volume of MNC jobs in this country which could be jeopardized (why do you think the OTB was watered down to be largely pointless now).

irish government responsibility is to Ireland and its citizens first and foremost.