Football Association of Ireland Backs Resolution Calling for Uefa Ban on Israeli Teams

Ireland's football governing body has given the green light to present a formal motion to Uefa, calling for the exclusion of Israeli football from all European team and national tournaments.

Grounds for the Recommended Ban

This motion, that had been put forward by Dublin club Bohemians, highlighted alleged breaches by the IFA of a couple of key European football regulations.

• Failure to implement and enforce an effective policy against racism.
• Establishment of clubs in disputed territories without the approval of the Palestrian FA.

Ballot Results and Future Actions

According to an announcement from the Irish FA, the proposal was supported by 74 votes, with seven against and two not voting.

The association intends to officially present this request to the Uefa executive committee, seeking the immediate suspension of the Israel Football Association from Uefa competitions.

During a special assembly of the FAI, an standard motion was posed to members. It was approved by a large margin.

Previous European Considerations

The European body had earlier put on hold intentions to exclude Israeli football at the close of last month, following the announcement of a US peace proposal for the region.

Although they never officially confirmed contemplating an special session on the matter, preparations were understood to be well developed.

Global Context

The FAI move follows similar demands in September from the heads of Turkish and Norwegian governing bodies for Israel's suspension from global football.

These appeals were issued after UN specialists asked Fifa and Uefa to ban Israel, referencing a UN investigation that claimed the country of acts of genocide during the Gaza conflict.

Israel has denied these allegations and described the findings as scandalous.

Possible Ramifications

If Uefa decide to suspend the IFA, it would probably create tension with the US administration – co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup – which is firmly against such an action.

Although Uefa has the power to suspend Israel or its clubs from European competitions, it might not be able to stop them from taking part in qualification for the World Cup, which falls under Fifa.