Inside the struggle to 'stop the game' between Ireland and Israel

Inside the struggle to 'stop the game' between Ireland and Israel Submitted by Larry Ryan on Fri, 07/24/2026 - 12:01 Ireland's football matches against Israel are due to take place later this year but activists are campaigning to stop them Republic of Ireland fans display a banner saying 'Show Israel the red card' during the recent World Cup qualifier against Hungary at the Aviva Stadium (Ryan Byrne/Social media) Off For months, a campaign to stop Ireland ’s football team playing Israel in September and October has raged. In early July, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) appeared to put the matter to bed by passing a motion paving the way for the Nations League games to be played on neutral territory. But this, activists tell Middle East Eye, is not enough.