Irish Media, Protesters Demand Soccer Match Against Israel Be Canceled

Protests in Ireland against upcoming soccer matches with Israel are intensifying, with a prominent newspaper calling for the cancellation. An editorial in The Irish Times on Tuesday urged the Football Association of Ireland to "complete the job" and cancel the games, questioning the inconsistency of boycotting the Eurovision Song Contest while still planning to play Israel in soccer. This follows a decision by Irish broadcaster RTE to boycott Eurovision 2027, citing the "humanitarian crisis in Gaza and loss of life," a stance it maintained from the previous year.

The editorial was published a day after the Irish Football Association responded to controversial remarks made by Ireland's national team coach, Heimir Hallgrímsson. Hallgrímsson had stated, "We don't play with genocide, we play against genocide. That's why we play against Israel, we don't play with Israel." The Association retorted that while Ireland has contributed much to the world, it has yet to find a cure for "stupidity, ignorance, and hypocrisy," as demonstrated by the coach, adding that they do not play with such traits but against those who represent them.

Additionally, approximately 100 protesters gathered outside the Irish national team's hotel in Dublin on Monday, urging players not to play the upcoming matches against Israel. The demonstrators called out players by name, pleading, "Don't play."

Israel and Ireland are scheduled to play on September 27 and October 4. Neither match will be held on home soil for either team. The first game will take place in Debrecen, Hungary, and the second in Bačka Topola, Serbia. Both games will be played without spectators.