Irish soccer body votes to call for suspension of Israel from UEFA competition

Irish football’s governing body called on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel from the competition in a vote on Saturday.

This marks the third instance of a European national football governing body calling for Israel’s suspension from UEFA, joining Norway and Türkiye. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also called for the Israeli team to be suspended from international competitions.

The Football Association of Ireland has accepted the resolution proposed by Irish club Bohemians, with more than 50% of its delegates supporting it.

The proposal included allegations that the Israeli Football Federation (IFA) violated UEFA rules. The first is “organizing clubs in the occupied Palestinian territory without the permission of the Palestinian Football Federation” and the second is “the failure of the IFA to implement an effective anti-racism policy”.

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The Irish body also said in a statement that it would “call on UEFA to publish transparent criteria for the suspension or expulsion of member associations to ensure that all members are treated equally.”

The Israeli national team is scheduled to complete its World Cup qualifying campaign with a match against Moldova on November 16. The team is in third place in its group and cannot finish first to automatically qualify for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, or even second to qualify for the play-offs.

But growing global opposition to Israeli sports teams has put Israeli athletes and fans at a disadvantage in 2025.

It was reported that UEFA was moving towards a vote in September to suspend Israel due to the war in Gaza, but the motion was paused. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on October 3 that no action would be taken against the team, following a historic peace offer from President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But even after the peace offer, Israeli sports teams faced opposition and exclusion.

HIS RELEASE HOSTAGE REFERS TO ISRAELI FANS BEING BLOCKED FROM FOOTBALL MATCHES IN THE UK DUE TO PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS

The Israeli national gymnastics team has been denied a visa to enter Indonesia for the World Gymnastics Championships in October.

The Indonesian government cited safety and security concerns in denying the visas, but a spokesperson for the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) confirmed to Fox News Digital that the country’s security team had granted permission to the athletes.

“We have received permission from the Israeli Security Authorities to participate in the World Championships, subject to the necessary security protocols. From our perspective, all preparations have been completed – the registration process, entry visas to Indonesia and the approval of the Israeli Security Authorities,” the IGF said. he said.

Israeli male gymnast Eyal Indig called Indonesia’s decision “a blatant case of discrimination based on nationality” in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The Indonesian Embassy in the United States responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, saying, “The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia has no further comment to share regarding this matter.”

In England, fans of Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv have also been banned from attending the team’s final match against Aston Villa in England this week due to security concerns. Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly the target of violence in Amsterdam before and during the football team’s match against Ajax last year.

However, unrest still continues due to the presence of anti-Israel protesters in the vicinity of Thursday’s match.

British police said six people were arrested ahead of the Israeli team’s Europa League match against Aston Villa on Thursday.

Around 200 protesters gathered near a park near Aston Villa Park’s Trinity Road stand. Those protesters included members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, according to the Associated Press. Some pro-Israel protesters were also there.

Meanwhile, Israeli cycling team Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) has lost its main sponsor, despite the sponsor complying with its request to remove the word “Israel” from the team name.

Canadian company Premier Tech announced Friday that it will end its partnership with the team.

“After numerous discussions with the team and careful consideration of all relevant circumstances, Premier Tech has decided to withdraw as co-title sponsor of the team with immediate effect,” the statement said. The statement was included.

“While we have taken into account the team’s decision to change its name for the 2026 season, the primary reason for Premier Tech to sponsor the team has been eclipsed to the point where it becomes untenable for us to continue as a sponsor.”

In September, after deciding to drop the word “Israel” from its name, the team said it “expected the team to evolve towards a new name that would exclude ‘Israel’, leading to a new identity and branding.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to IPT for comment.

The team was removed from the Giro dell’Emilia race in Italy in October due to concerns that pro-Palestinian protests could be disruptive.

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Organizers took this decision after protesters repeatedly disrupted the Spanish Vuelta in front of Israel-Premier Tech.

Seven of the last 11 days of racing at the Vuelta were abandoned or disrupted as the Spanish government estimated more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage in September.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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