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

Tony EH · 07-06-2026 02:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124530994#Comment_124530994

In fairness, I don't think that Robbie should be on the end of dog's abuse by some wanker on X. But this is X we're talking about, so it shouldn't come as a shock to see some nasty words being spouted on that platform. Quelle Surprise and all that.

However, someone being outraged by that and at the same time saying that they "don't care" about dead children as a result of deliberate targeting by a rapacious state currently engaging in massive amounts of war criminality because "the world is full of bad stuff" just exposes them for the bottom feeding, rank, hypocrites that they are.

Tell me how · 07-06-2026 02:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531086#Comment_124531086

Exactly, I've no time for anyone abusing people on social media. Particularly 3rd party individuals and more so when they are children.

But to casually express no concern for Palestinian children as has been done. That is despicable in my mind. No different than if someone had some the same about Jewish kids during WW2.

dmcdona · 07-06-2026 04:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124530831#Comment_124530831

And precisely how does this prove that the FAI will receive full payment for losses incurred by the IRL v IS being moved to another venue?

Rocket_GD · 07-06-2026 04:25PM

If posters are outraged about potential FAI losses, surely the same posters will be outraged at the thought of the game being moved abroad.

Think of the losses for all pubs/restaurants/hotels/taxi drivers if the game is moved abroad.

I wonder will they protest the FAI to get the game played in the Aviva?

Or are they just going to “virtue signal from their ivory towers”.

csirl · 07-06-2026 04:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124530919#Comment_124530919

Drogheda Utd are a Lesgue of Ireland team, not an Israeli FA member (beginning to wonder if some of the posters on this thread are even Irish).

The claim made on this thread was that US billionnaires were lobbying on behalf of the Israeli FA. Can you substantiate this?

csirl · 07-06-2026 04:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124530902#Comment_124530902

There hardly thinking of moving the game for "security concerns" because of peaceful respectful protests by Palestinian supporters!

Ozymandius2011 · 07-06-2026 04:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531564#Comment_124531564

That they lobby on behalf of Israel is not exactly a state secret. Look at AIPAC, the people who fund the settlers etc.

Who do you think owns these investment funds? Billionaires of course.

Ozymandius2011 · 07-06-2026 04:58PM

West Midlands police last year said the reason they banned fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv was due to hooliganism.

We should not risk it happening Dublin. There is little love lost between Israel and Ireland. And of course if the Gardai try to stop them, their cronies in the US will call it anti semitism.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx3d5enx0xo

dmcdona · 07-06-2026 06:03PM

Very good analysis.

"Whoever first coined the phrase "sport and politics don't mix" clearly wasn't much of a sports fan or political anorak."

https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2026/0607/1577203-ireland-israel-game/

Dr Robert · 07-06-2026 06:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124530994#Comment_124530994

Robbie Keane is an Irish football legend. Left wing whackos will never take that away.

Tell me how · 07-06-2026 06:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531773#Comment_124531773

Politics and sports have always been intertwined. I posted a long post in this thread months ago giving various examples of that.

The anthems, the colours, the flags, the state dignitaries, they're all political elements.

It's political when there's poppy's on the shirts, it's political when winners are invited to the office of the PM/President, it's political when the grounds of the White House are used to host a sporting event. It's political when European ultra's groups build tifosi's to make a comment on political topics.

It was political when Hitler tried to use the Olympics to showcase his master race theory, it was political when organisers tried to stop Robert Gibb from running the Boston marathon, it was political when Irish governments arranged dubious Passports for players so that they could play for the senior team. It was political when Paul Gascoigne played an imaginary flute after scoring against Celtic.

And it's very selective when people say they shouldn't be. A lot of the above, they'll tolerate but, if it's supporting LGBT or stopping racism, then that's when they adjust their position.

Tell me how · 07-06-2026 07:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531896#Comment_124531896

I agree, he was one of the best footballers for the national team in my lifetime.

He's also at best, ambivalent to the suffering and deaths of thousands of people a mere miles from where he lived. People suffering at the hands of the state in which he voluntarily choose to stay and work in as they started and continued their genocide.

You might not care about the latter, but lots of people do.

Lawlesz · 07-06-2026 07:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531896#Comment_124531896

Do you know what the term “left wing” means? I don’t think you do.

Tell me how · 07-06-2026 07:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531939#Comment_124531939

Maybe hes talking about Stuart Pierce? He was nicknamed Psycho though rather than Whacko.

He did play on the left wing though. Not sure if they played against each other that much although their careers did overlap.

JohnDoe2025 · 07-06-2026 07:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124527950#Comment_124527950

There are significant differences though.

(1) Alumina Aughinish appears to be supplying the Russian Army with material for offensive weapons - let's hope that gets clarified quickly enough.

I am not aware of any Irish company supplying weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces.

(2) The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is at our back door, the Middle East is far away.

On both those counts, we should be far more concerned about supplying Russia.

By the way, I take it that you support the OTB applying to Russian-occupied Crimea and Donbas, as well as Turkish-occupied Cyprus?

csirl · 07-06-2026 07:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531610#Comment_124531610

That's not what we're talking about. What US billionnaires are lobbying FIFA/UEFA on behalf of the Istaeli FA to ensure the fixture goes ahead?

JohnDoe2025 · 07-06-2026 07:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124530890#Comment_124530890

Are you referring to those Palestinian supporters in Ireland who intimidate Jews every weekend at Herzog Park? They are hardly a shining example.

Tell me how · 07-06-2026 07:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532016#Comment_124532016

I've no idea what you are talking about, which is some indication of the level of intimidation that is taking place. Did they have the audacity to wave a Palestinian flag? I know that is difficult for a lot of pro-Israel people.

Paddy_Mag · 07-06-2026 07:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531929#Comment_124531929

Is there some rule or law that says we all have to care about Palestinians, who are not exactly a beacons of moraity themselves ?

Dr Robert · 07-06-2026 07:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124531929#Comment_124531929

Nonsense. He should just walk out of his job midway through a season? That's his business imo.

**** the cancel culture mob. Trying to control what people do from their laptops 🤣

Tell me how · 07-06-2026 07:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532032#Comment_124532032

You misunderstand.

He's free to do whatever he wants, but people are free to judge him for it.

Ironically, you trying to stop people doing that is another sort of cancel culture, the very think you are outraged at thought of others doing it.

And with respect to laptops, we've had a few days here of people undermining and dismissing the efforts of people who were part of the flotillas attempting to bring aid to Gaza.

Who do you think is entitled to speak on behalf of the Palestinians without risking your ridicule? Rachel Corrie?

Tell me how · 07-06-2026 07:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532031#Comment_124532031

Depends on how you were raised.

Ozymandius2011 · 07-06-2026 07:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532032#Comment_124532032

Well the Israeli lobby like AIPAC and UK Lawyers for Israel are always practicing Cancel Culture in the US and UK. They dont like when the shoe is on the other foot.

If the game is held it should not be in Dublin because of the danger of a repeat of their antics in Amsterdam where they started a riot and blamed it on locals.

I would add that even in Israel itself, there is a growing issue with football hooliganism and matches having to be called off, involving Macabbi Tel Aviv.

Paddy_Mag · 07-06-2026 07:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532055#Comment_124532055

I was raised to respect people

Gay men in Palestine are persecuted and ostracised, often victims of violence.

Women who are raped are treated the same. Ostracised from society because the behaviour of Palestinian men especially is disgusting.

Nothing wrong with how i was raised frankly.

He's free to do whatever he wants, but people are free to judge him for it.

So you judge Robbie Keane for working in Israel for 11 months but have not spoken about about Ireland playing Qatar in football, Afghanistan in cricket. Its amazing how specific what you judge and dont judge.

Miniegg · 07-06-2026 08:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532031#Comment_124532031

Nobody - care or don't. Funnily enough though it just seems to be the pshychos and racists amongst our good people who seem to have a problem with people for giving any kind of sh*t about what's happening to them, engaging in all kinds of smear and slander and nonsense.

For someone who doesn't care about them either way, you sure post alot about them/ bad mouth them and denigrate them (rapists/ dog haters/ lauding Slovenia for removing a flag, f*ckin strange).

Yet I have never heard you make a single critical remake about the other people you say you don't care about in Israel? The ones who's government is committing a genocide.

Curious one that.

csirl · 07-06-2026 08:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532063#Comment_124532063

The FAI is NOT considering moving the game due to concerns about the behaviour of Israeli fans. There concerns are about Palestinian supporters. It wasnt Israeli fans who were throwing objects onto the pitch during the Qatar game.

Ozymandius2011 · 07-06-2026 08:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532081#Comment_124532081

That also happens in Israeli prisons. The video released by an IDF lawyer tired of the cover ups showed a sexual assault by soldiers on Palestinians. She ended up being investigated for doing so.

Sky news report on this here.

Paddy_Mag · 07-06-2026 08:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124532093#Comment_124532093

Yeah but I dont support Israel either

Dr Robert · 07-06-2026 08:08PM

Go ahead with no fans will probably be the outcome.

Dr Robert · 07-06-2026 08:10PM

Anyone partaking in cancel culture is an absolute idiot, whatever side on whatever subject.

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

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