Ireland’s Soccer Federation Proposes Motion Against Israel in UEFA

DUBLIN — The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) voted on Saturday to propose a motion to UEFA, seeking to ban Israel from competitions organized by the European governing body.

This motion, put forth by the Irish club Bohemians, received significant support, passing with a clear majority as required by the federation’s delegate voting guidelines. According to a statement from the FAI, the motion cites two alleged violations of UEFA statutes by the Israel Football Association. The first violation pertains to the organization of clubs in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association. The second issue raised is the alleged failure of the Israel Football Association to implement an effective anti-racism policy.

The UEFA executive committee is scheduled to meet on December 3 in Nyon to discuss various matters, including this motion. Meanwhile, Israel is set to conclude its World Cup qualifying campaign with a match against Moldova on November 16. Currently, the team ranks third in its group and is unable to qualify automatically for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, nor can it secure a second-place finish to enter the playoffs.

Last month, UEFA paused plans to vote on suspending Israel from European competitions due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, following a peace proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In its statement, the FAI also called upon UEFA to publish transparent criteria for the suspension or exclusion of member associations to ensure equitable treatment of all members.