Taoiseach: Boycott of Israel match may 'harm' Ireland with no benefit to Palestinians

Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

One football match is not going to get the Israeli government to “change direction” on policies towards Palestinians, the Taoiseach has contended.

Micheál Martin said that a boycott of the Republic of Ireland men’s international team’s next fixture against Israel on Sunday could do harm to Ireland with “no consequential gain” for Palestinians.

Pro-Palestinian groups have called on the FAI and players to scrap the Uefa Nations League fixture over Israel’s war in Gaza and illegal settlements in the West Bank.

A similar call had been made over the first leg of the match, which went ahead despite one player, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, refusing to participate as a matter of “principle”.

The Republic of Ireland ultimately played the match and beat Israel 3-0 at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, with the second fixture due to take place at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia, on Sunday.

Asked if the next game should go ahead, Mr Martin told reporters at a Fianna Fáil event in Dublin: “There’s two things I think that we need to bear in mind.

“One is that if this was to have an impact — I don’t believe it would — it’s actually possible it would do harm to Ireland with no consequential gain in terms of the Palestinians.”

He added: “And Ireland will continue to press very hard at every international forum we have to press for the rights of Palestinians.”

Addressing the calls for a boycott, Mr Martin said “there’s been too much pressure put on the players”.

He added: “The FAI and the footballing community took a decision to play the match.

“The FAI did everything to promote the expulsion of Israel from Uefa and didn’t succeed and people are putting undue pressure on the players to unilaterally take a decision in respect of the match.

“I’ve no doubt every footballer playing with Ireland abhors what has happened in Gaza, abhors what’s happening in the West Bank.”

Mr Martin added: “But I believe that Ireland, overall diplomatically, politically, has done everything it possibly can, and continues to do everything we possibly can to put pressure on Israel and indeed others within the European Union and internationally to get Israel to change direction in respect of its policies towards Palestinians — and that’s a very challenging endeavour.

“One football match isn’t going to sort that.

“We need to be clear-eyed about that.

“I don’t believe the Israeli government or prime minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu cares whether Ireland plays that game or not.”