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Football’s governing body in Ireland voted on Saturday to ask the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel from the competition.
This is the third case in which a European football governing body has called for Israel to be suspended from UEFA, joining Norway and Türkiye. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also called for the Israeli team to be suspended from international competition.
The Irish Football Association approved the resolution, proposed by the Irish club Bohemians, with the support of more than 50% of its delegates.
The proposal cited two alleged violations of UEFA statutes by the Israel Football Association (IFA). The first is “organizing clubs in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian FA” and the second is “the alleged failure of the IFA to implement an effective anti-racism policy.”
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Israeli soccer fans wave flags as Israel warms up ahead of the European qualifying zone for the 2026 World Cup, Oct. 11, in Oslo, Norway. (Fredrik Varfjell/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
The Irish body also said it would “call on UEFA to publish transparent criteria for the suspension or exclusion of member associations to ensure equal treatment of all members,” in a statement.
The Israel national team is scheduled to complete its World Cup qualifying campaign with a match against Moldova on November 16. The team is third 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 make the playoffs.
But growing global opposition to Israeli sports teams has put its athletes and fans at a disadvantage in 2025.
UEFA was reported to be moving towards a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September, but the motion was suspended. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that no action would be taken against the team on October 3, following a historic peace proposal from President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.
RELEASED HOSTAGE REGRETS ISRAELI FANS EXCLUDED FROM UK FOOTBALL MATCH OVER CONCERNS OF PROPALESTINIAN PROTESTS
Israel’s national gymnastics team was denied visas to enter Indonesia for the World Gymnastics Championships in October.
The Indonesian government cited security concerns in denying the visas, but a spokesperson for the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) confirmed to Pak Gazette Digital that the country’s security team gave clearance to its athletes.
“We received authorization from the Israeli security authorities to participate in the World Championship subject to the necessary security protocols. On our part, all preparations were complete: registration process, entry visas to Indonesia and confirmation from the Israeli security authorities,” the IGF said.
Israeli male gymnast Eyal Indig called Indonesia’s decision “a blatant incident of discrimination based on nationality,” in an interview with Pak Gazette Digital.
The Indonesian Embassy in the United States responded to Pak Gazette Digital’s request for comment by saying, “The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia has no further comments to share on this matter.”
In England, fans of the Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from attending the team’s recent match against Aston Villa in the United Kingdom this week, also for security reasons. Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly subjected to violence in Amsterdam before and during the soccer team’s match against Ajax last year.
However, riots still broke out during Thursday’s game, with anti-Israel protesters nearby.
British police said six people were arrested Thursday before the Israeli team’s match against Aston Villa in a Europa League match.
About 200 protesters gathered near a park near Aston Villa Park’s Trinity Road stand. Among these protesters were members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, according to The Associated Press. Some pro-Israel protesters were also present.
Meanwhile, Israeli cycling team Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) lost its main sponsor despite complying with the sponsor’s request to remove the word “Israel” from the team name.
Canadian company Premier Tech announced it was ending its partnership with the team in a statement released Friday.
“After multiple discussions with the team and careful evaluation of all relevant circumstances, Premier Tech has decided to step down as co-title sponsor of the team effective immediately,” the statement said.
“While we note the team’s decision to change its name for the 2026 season, the primary reason Premier Tech sponsors the team has been overshadowed to a point where it has become unsustainable for us to continue as a sponsor.”
In September, after agreeing to drop “Israel” from its name, the team said it “expects it to evolve into a new name that excludes ‘Israel,’ leading to a new identity and brand.”
Pak Gazette Digital has contacted IPT for comment.
The team was excluded from an October race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, due to concerns about potentially disruptive pro-Palestine protests.
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Organizers made the decision after protesters repeatedly disrupted the recent Vuelta a España in the presence of Israel’s Premier Tech.
Seven of the last 11 days of Vuelta racing were shortened or interrupted because the Spanish government estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets of Madrid during the final stage in September.
