RTÉ says it is 'legally obliged' to broadcast Ireland-Israel match

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has said the Ireland team will play the matches, with the October 4 match due to be held at the Aviva Stadium. Picture: ©INPHO/James Crombie

RTÉ has said it will broadcast the soccer match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel if it goes ahead later this year.

The broadcaster said this was based on its legal obligations to broadcast the match and in order to support Ireland's national team.

It said its decision was different to its boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest as broadcasters operate the selection process for that competition and have control over whether to take part.

There has been a political focus on two matches between Ireland and Israel due to take place this autumn, with former football manager Brian Kerr among those calling for a boycott of the matches.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has said the Ireland team will play the matches, with the October 4 match due to be held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney had written to RTÉ to ask it not to broadcast either match.

In a statement, RTÉ said: "If the match goes ahead - and that is a decision for the FAI as the relevant national sporting body - RTÉ will broadcast it in line with its contractual and therefore binding legal obligations and of course our overall commitment to supporting Ireland's national teams.

"In essence, the decisions regarding participation by Ireland's national soccer team in any tournament are the responsibility of the appropriate official national sporting body - in this case the FAI."

It said RTÉ's decision in this case is different to its decision regarding the Eurovision Song Contest, "which is owned and run by the EBU, for one main reason".

"In that case, it is national public service broadcasters/media (PSMs) who operate the selection process to decide which song/artist will represent their country in the contest and therefore it is entirely the decision of the PSM whether to take part or not.

"In Ireland, the responsibility obviously falls to RTÉ as Ireland's national PSM, and a member of the EBU.

"So, RTÉ was able to make an independent decision on both participation and broadcasting of the Eurovision."

Tánaiste Simon Harris said RTÉ may find itself in "legal difficulty" if it did not broadcast the matches.

"The FAI need to endeavour to run soccer matches, and RTÉ needs to do its job in fulfilling its contractual obligations," he told RTÉ radio.

The Republic of Ireland were drawn in a group with Israel for the Uefa Nations League, and the two teams are due to play each other on September 27 and October 4.

The FAI said Ireland would fulfil the Israel fixtures, despite the FAI general assembly voting overwhelmingly in favour of a motion mandating the governing body to call for Israel to be suspended from European competitions.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the matches should go ahead. He said that while the government had "opposed very strongly" Israeli government policy within Gaza, "people have to distinguish between the government of Israel and its policies, and the people of Israel".