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

Sorry what mod am I challenging PJ, do you know something I don't?

You can't just say a question is off topic because it makes you look like a hypocrite. Report my post to this phantom mod if you must.

The reason this game being played is under such scrutiny is because Israel is engaging in what almost all the experts and relevant organizations are telling us is a genocide, a few of which I have listed.

All the deflection, slander and nonsense being put out by certain posters in this thread, including you and Paddy, conveniently ignores this context it's nuts. Ye bring up anything ye can to delegitimize the motives of those calling for the boycott without addressing the actual reasons.

If someone like Paddy portrays themselves as neutral whilst denigrating Palestinians only, cannot criticize israel despite these evil acts, and cannot address the premise of the call for boycott, this provides context for their pov.

Paddy has wracked up hundreds of posts trying to delegitimize the motives of people who not only want to boycott, but also those who support basic human rights. Mods deemed this on topic.

So why should Paddy's motives not be on topic?

Paddy is quite happy to answer questions about anything else if it depends Israel or criticizes those who are calling them out, no matter how nonsensical.

But put him on the spot to criticize israel, he cannot do it, and suddenly become off topic. Give me a break. Ye are all the same, and it is disconcerting how ye can't utter a word of specific criticism against a state that is overwhelmingy alleged to be committing a complaint of genocide and extermination of innocent people.

If everyone else motives can be questioned by Paddy, then so can Paddy's.

Poster warned. Stick to the topic and do not derail into discussing a poster. If you have an issue, use the report button.

-Mod

If you arent rabidly against Israel 24/7 you are staunchly defending them, you know this is the rule by now.

Surely you're not a mod?

Still unable to provide a specific criticism of the country you say you don't support.

That whole post is looking for reasons after reason why no-one should care,.or are too impure to speak up, and dressing it up as realism.

You keep saying you don't support Israel, yet whenever people object to what Israel is doing, you're there to mock them, dismiss them, or tell them to stay quiet because they aren't "pure enough". When asked directly if you condemn Israel's actions, you can't answer. yet happy to say Gazans are rapists etc.

You try to put yourself across as some neutral football pragmatist, but your behaviour and stances are far from neutral.

Half your argument comes down to money. But if people only take a stand when it costs nothing, then it's not much of a principle. Every boycott in history had financial consequences. That's the point.

The comparison with people buying phones or shopping in stores is just a nonsense distraction because you are trying to find reasons to stop people speaking up. Nobody except you is claiming people can avoid every connection to Israel.

Nobody can avoid every connection to anything they protest against, be it marriage equality, abortion referendum, fuel protests, that is life. People protesting for gay marriage and abortion rights still went to mass, had communions, went to weddings. They still used hospitals that refused to carry out abortions when they were sick.

Fuel protesters blocked local circle K and apple green garages that had nothing to do with their actual grievances. I know some who did government and country council work some days and protesting others.

It doesn't mean their message was wrong, that they were hypocrites in ivory towers, or they were all illegitimate to give their pov. This is exactly what you are saying with anti Israel protesters.

The question here is whether Irish football should participate in a public act of sporting normalisation with a country who international experts are telling us are carrying out a genocide. Those are completely different issues. You demand that boycott supporters be perfectly consistent, but you can't even clearly say whether Israel's conduct deserves criticism. Hypocrisy.

The “football is just sport” line is cowardly nonsense imo. Sport has never existed outside politics because states like Israel,and Ireland, and everyone else use sport for legitimacy.

Russia was excluded. The principle is not mysterious - states committing mass warcrimes like these should not get the comfort of normal international fixtures while their victims are buried under rubble.

You say “leave them at it.” That is not neutrality, it is permission. And easy to say when it's somebody else's families, somebody else's children being exterminated?

People aren't speaking out because they think a football match will end the war. They're speaking out because staying silent in the face of mass suffering is wrong. That's a moral position.

Pretending nothing can be done and everything should carry on as normal, whilst being unable to criticise the country carrying the fecking thing out, is not neutral, and is also a moral position.

Posters have said they shouldn't be banned, but they claim it's out of concern for the FAI

If you are aware of their posting history you may well draw the same conclusions. I can't 100 prove their motivations, and seeing as they'll never admit to it, it's a pointless exercise naming them.

I gave the list about the accusations put out about what they are doing in Gaza. It is overwhelming. That is the basis for the boycott. Not their religion, not peoples "other motives" as you alluded to. It isn't antisemetic to want them banned from sporting competitions for their behaviour.

If you are unable to criticise israeli actions, or even acknowledge what they are doing to millions of starving people trapped behind a fence, tens of thousands burries under rubble whilst partaking in slander, nonsense delegitimization, and use whataboutery to somehow normalize these acts, you are defending them, whether that is intentional or not only you know.

If you support Ireland and don't want the game to go ahead due to the affect on Irish football, I will happily listen as I did to paddy until his mask fell off. If you engage in the above nonsense, you will be challenged.

I havent seen anyone say Israel shouldn't be banned. I have however seen multiple point out that Ireland havent the power to ban them from international competition so I guess thats seen as the same for some who struggle with comprehending whats in front of them.

The Irish government sometimes refuses visas for International referees in sports from time to time. Ive come across it myself in the past.

So you can do what nacho refused and show these posts.

you’re saying you’ve seen people say Ireland haven’t the power to ban them, did anyone say they did? That’s what I mean when I say you’re seeing what suits you and leaving out what doesn’t.

What people in Ireland are trying to do is create pressure on FIFA/UEFA to ban them through protest and debate. A spotlight on this game could lead to pressure on a FIFA/UEFA ban of Israeli football teams. It won’t immediately or directly stop Israeli genocide and warmongering either but it could lead to international isolation from sporting events. You already know that.