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

Which countries would you invite to take part? North Korea? Russia? Iran? Palestine?

In the end of the day this tbread is about a soccer fixture. Its not about the Israel/Palestine situation.

Those of you advocating a boycott are the ones who need to establish cause and effect i.e. that a boycott will stop the conflict.

While you may not agree, people saying a boycott will not improve the situation is a valid position to take, as is people saying neither the FAI or Israeli FA are involved or can influence things. It is also completely false to say that people who dont support a boycott dont care about the Palestinian people.

People bring up Russia and SA all the time. In spite of the Russian ban being most major sports, respected by most countries etc. it has had no impact on tne situation in Ukraine. This is the recent body of evidence we're working with.

As for SA, I think it is all revisionist history - i lived through thst era. I dont recall it having any significant impact. It was a combination of political, economic and domestic events that changed SA.

Such desperation now trying to frame me as some sorta anti-vax buffoon. Stay classy.

So what difference do you think a boycott will make? What's the end game here? Bearing in mind its very clear at this stage that there'll be little or no support for it outside Ireland.

You can"t compare a boycott to the two Yes campaigns. In both Yes campaigns the various marches and advocacy efforts were directly aimed at those who had the power to make a difference.

Your proposed football boycott would be the equivalent of the Yes campaigns targetting the Laois U21 County Hurling Finals instead of the Oireachtas.

You're still treating this as if people have claimed the boycott will end the conflict. Nobody has. Why do you constantly make up arguments no one has made to argue against?

The argument is much simpler. Should the FAI participate as normal, or should it make a statement by refusing to do so.

You keep demanding that boycott supporters explain exactly how much difference it will make. That's not a test you apply to anything else. Who can ever tell before they protest or match what difference it will make? Yet protests and boycotts happen all over the world, and have changed things throughout history.

People support those actions because they believe they are right, not because they can guarantee a particular outcome. That is the same with of the recent ones in Ireland.

Bearing in mind its very clear at this stage that there'll be little or no support for it outside Ireland.

Where to start.

First it was sport and politics should be separate.

Then it was only federations that breach inclusion rules should face consequences.

Then it was a boycott won't solve the conflict.

Now it's a boycott must have support everywhere else before it's worth doing.

Your posts are completely unprincipled, and are instead a blind search for reasons to oppose the boycott.

The reality is that you understand exactly what a boycott is intended to do, as do all your buddies. It is easy to understand - you just don't agree with it because it highlights the crimes of a country you and your buddies tell us again you don't support. Every time an argument fails a new one appears and all are paper thin. How else can you possibly explain all this nonsense? What is it in aid of? Why not be honest?

And you claiming people aren't Irish on this thread?

I have never met people here in real life holding some of the opinions of some people on this thread. Never met one who couldn't condemn what Israel is doing to Gazans (which experts tell us is genocide), and isn't absolutely disgusted by it. Why is it so many here are incapable of accepting/acknowledging/condemning this? It shouldn't be controversial or difficult to condemn the slaughter of 20k children and an intentional starvation campaign against millions of people. It doesn't make any sense.

There are a few up the north who openly support it of course, but I don't think they would describe themselves as Irish, though they'd certainly be able to pretend they are. Maybe you could start your currently bullsh*t search on that side of the argument?

The EU, plus the four UK nations, Norway, Switzerland, Andoora, San Marino, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar and Lichenstein make up 38 of the 55 members of UEFA, which is a large majority. The EU on its own has 27 which is a simple majority. Those 38 make up a two-thirds majority, so that shows how fantastical and crazy your proposal is, as if what you wanted was on the table, they could have done it already and even expelled Israel.

Short-term pain and a few lean years is a laugh and shows how little you know about the topic. It has already been shown that around 99% of the FAI's income would disappear and professional football in this country would be dead.

Kids won't get to play every weekend, because who do you think organises the games, rents the pitches, pays the referees, provides indemnity insurance etc? Answer: the now bankrupt FAI.

I have made my position clear, we are in UEFA, we propose our motions, they vote on them, we accept the outcome.

When it comes to playing matches, we have to fill our competitive ones, but we don't play friendlies against Qatar, Israel, Russia, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iran or anyone else like that.