Irish Examiner view: Calling foul on basketball boycott comments

Basketball Ireland knows the challenge to do the right thing — no matter the cost — rarely occurs at the most convenient time

Ireland is scheduled to take on Israel in tonight's EuroBasket qualifier in the Rimi Olympic Centre in Riga. Stock picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The Irish women’s basketball team takes on Israel this evening in a EuroBasket qualifier, fixed for Riga’s Rimi Olympic Centre, a game that has already assumed a significance beyond its final scoreline.

The conflict in Gaza has led to calls on Basketball Ireland to boycott this fixture, but officials have refused to do so, pointing out that Ireland would face a fine of up to €180,000 and suspension from international competition for five years.

Regarding a boycott, Basketball Ireland CEO John Feehan went further, referring to €1bn worth of trade between Ireland and Israel, and adding: “Is it going to make a blind bit of difference if we make a grand gesture? The simple answer is ‘no’, and I am not prepared to destroy my sport for a gesture that will have no impact.”

Citing the volume of trade between Ireland and Israel was a careless point to make, as it invites some obvious questions: If there were less trade between the two countries, would a boycott then be justified? How low would the value of the trade have to be to justify such a stance?

Those comments also contain a profound misreading of the purpose of a boycott. 

Nobody expects Ireland refusing to play a basketball game to have any impact on Israel’s conduct.

Where it might make a small difference is in Gaza itself, as a small gesture of solidarity to those living there, a reminder that they have been neither forgotten nor forsaken.

It would also create headlines around the world, and could lead to further gestures of solidarity.

Ireland’s opponents have already shown no reticence when it comes to symbolic gestures: The Israel team has been pictured with members of the Israeli defence forces in recent days, thus endorsing its military activities. 

The Irish team has already suffered callous accusations of antisemitism by an Israeli player, something Basketball Ireland rightly criticised as “inflammatory and wholly inaccurate”.

Basketball Ireland may feel aggrieved at being pushed into this situation, and it is not fair, but the challenge to do the right thing — no matter the cost — rarely occurs at the most convenient time.

Dublin Airport

The controversy about Dublin Airport’s capacity has its origins back in 2007, when that capacity was capped at 32m passengers annually due to the pressure on local infrastructure, among other concerns.

Now the Dublin Airport Authority (Daa), the airport operator, wants to increase the size of the airport and to hike passenger numbers to 40m in order to accommodate the growing demand for air travel.

Cue discord: Residents in the area are unhappy with the implications for noise pollution if passenger numbers increase by 25%, and it is not clear if the local infrastructure has improved to the extent necessary to accommodate that growth in numbers.

Unsurprisingly, some airlines are pushing for the expansion to occur, hinting darkly in their statements about the implications for Ireland’s economy as a whole if the airport does not increase capacity.

It is encouraging that businesses as competitive as budget airlines are thinking selflessly of the benefits for the entire country if Dublin Airport expands, as it appears that Daa itself has a far narrower focus.

Statements from chief executive Kenny Jacobs appear to rule out the involvement of Irish regional airports in sharing the passenger load.

“There’s a myth out there that if you cap Dublin, those flights will move to the regions. That’s simply not the case,” Jacobs told RTÉ recently. “The airlines want to come to Dublin. That’s why they want to do more flights here.”

This is neither a good omen for the future of those regional airports, nor the development of the areas those airports serve. It suggests that the notion of regional development as a counterbalance to the focus on Dublin seems to be just that — a notion.

Yesterday, Daa announced welcome plans to improve its ‘green’ operations. But more passengers means more flights, more emissions, and more damage to the environment. Most people can’t afford to fly long haul now. Advances in technology will surely make business travel less frequent. Do we need to continue to cater for more short-haul holidays, or prioritise sustainable investment in connecting Irish cities?

Politicians stepping back

Earlier this week, Kerry Fine Gael councillor Aoife Thornton revealed she would not be contesting this year’s local elections, despite topping the poll in Listowel back in 2019.

Thornton said there were various factors involved in her decision but pointed to one particular challenge she and all her colleagues faced: “There’s a huge expectation to be at all the funerals that are in your area, particularly in North Kerry. 

"That in itself adds a huge pressure, to get out every evening and attend all those funerals.”

That pressure will be recognisable to politicians of all constituencies and all parties; attendance at funerals is a key element in politicians’ diary, from the well-timed arrival when the crowd is at its peak to the handwritten signature in the condolence book.

However, the antisocial hours involved in representative politics are also frequently cited as a major disincentive when people are considering whether to get involved. 

Would there be more participants in the political process if it were unnecessary to attend every funeral in one’s locality?

Perhaps, though, it’s difficult to envisage such a development at any point in the near future. It would truly be a seismic change if we were to take the coffin out of Irish politics.