Israeli Basketball hit out at Ireland for not 'standing by us in the spirit of sports'

Basketball Ireland, mindful of potential protests, decided it was not feasible to host an Israeli national team.

Israeli Basketball Association logo.

The Israeli Basketball Association has criticised Basketball Ireland for “not standing by us and not responding in the spirit of sports” in the wake of BI declining to host the Israeli national team next February for their rescheduled women’s Group E Eurobasket qualifier. Instead, it appears the game will be played in neutral Riga.

The Irish senior women’s team were due to play Israel in Tel Aviv on November 9 but the game was postponed in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks and the Department of Foreign Affairs advising against Irish citizens travelling to the region. At the time BI CEO John Feehan stated, “We will continue to work with FIBA and our counterparts in Israel to explore alternative arrangements for the fixture to be fulfilled at an appropriate time.”