The Israel Football Association has issued a stinging rebuke of Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, accusing him of displaying "stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy" in comments he made about the war in Gaza.
The row comes as Ireland prepare to open their Nations League campaign away to Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday, ahead of a heavily scrutinised run of fixtures that includes two meetings with Israel. Ireland will also host Austria at the Aviva Stadium on 1 October in the third game of an extended four-match international window.
Ireland's "away" fixture against Israel will actually be played on neutral territory in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday 27 September, with the reverse "home" match staged in Backa Topola, Serbia, on 4 October. Both venues were dictated by neutral-ground arrangements that have applied to Israel's matches since the Nations League draw was made in February, and the fixtures have been the subject of boycott calls ever since amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
An independent UN commission concluded last September that Israel has committed and continues to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a finding Israeli authorities have rejected. The issue has already spilled onto the pitch once this year: during Ireland's friendly win over Qatar in May, tennis balls were thrown onto the Aviva Stadium surface at various points as part of protests by the 'Stop The Game' campaign. An FAI EGM in July ultimately passed a motion in favour of proceeding with the fixtures against Israel.
Hallgrimsson's remarks
Speaking at last week's squad announcement, Hallgrimsson said the fact his players had accepted call-ups for this window showed "team spirit", while acknowledging that some individual players are "uncomfortable" about facing Israel. Asked how difficult it would be to keep his squad focused on football given the controversy, he said:
"I've said before, we're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide. We're playing against Israel, we're not playing with Israel."
Israel FA's response
The Israel Football Association hit back at those comments in a post on its official X account, writing:
"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 @IrelandFootball team coach. We're not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, We're playing against the coach who embodies them."
The FAI has been contacted for comment.
Pressure from Irish sportspeople
The exchange comes as more than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter to the senior men's national team urging players to "act collectively with conscience" and refuse to take part in the upcoming games against Israel. The letter, written by the Irish Sport for Palestine Group, calls on the squad to "seize the moment" and boycott the fixtures, and states that the FAI, UEFA and the Irish government have failed the players by putting them in this position.
