Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has stepped into a growing row between Israel's soccer federation and Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, calling the federation's comments about the coach "unacceptable" and saying they should be withdrawn.
Speaking to reporters in New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly, Martin said: "I think those are unacceptable remarks. They should be withdrawn. Israel can't keep denying what the world knows, and what the world understands."
The dispute started after Hallgrimsson said ahead of Ireland's upcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel: "We're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide. We're playing against Israel, we're not playing with Israel."
The Israel Football Association hit back on Monday with a pointed statement accusing the Icelandic coach of "stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy." It read: "We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by Ireland's national team coach. We're not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we're playing against the coach who embodies them."
Martin said Hallgrimsson's comments reflected wider concerns about the scale of death and destruction in Gaza, also pointing to remarks made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Matches Under Pressure at Home
The row comes as the fixtures themselves, scheduled for September 27 and October 4, face mounting controversy in Ireland. More than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter urging the national team to boycott the matches, and protesters gathered outside the squad's Dublin hotel on Monday, with further demonstrations planned around the country before the games.
The Football Association of Ireland tried to push back against Israel's participation in European competition last November, passing a motion asking UEFA to suspend Israel from international football. That request found no support among European football's governing body. The FAI has since said it has little choice but to fulfil the fixtures, warning that pulling out would risk sporting and financial sanctions.
Both matches have already been shifted away from their original venues. Ireland's home game on October 4 was moved from the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to Backa Topola in Serbia because of security and disruption concerns. The September 27 fixture, officially Israel's home match, will also be played at a neutral site, in Debrecen, Hungary.
Israel strongly rejects claims that its conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide. It launched the war against Hamas following the October 7 attacks and says it seeks to avoid civilian casualties while fighting a group it accuses of embedding itself among the civilian population.
Ireland has long positioned itself as a firm supporter of the Palestinian cause, a stance often linked to the country's own history under British rule. Dublin formally recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway, and has repeatedly criticized Israel's handling of the war in Gaza.
