FAI Backs Resolution Seeking Uefa Ban on Israeli Teams

Ireland's football governing body has given the green light to submit a formal motion to Uefa, calling for the exclusion of Israeli football from continental team and national competitions.

Basis of the Proposed Suspension

The resolution, that had been put forward by Dublin club Bohemians, highlighted alleged breaches by the IFA of two key European football regulations.

• Failure to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy.
• Organisation of clubs in disputed territories without the approval of the Palestinian Football Association.

Ballot Results and Next Steps

According to an announcement from the Irish FA, the proposal was backed by 74 votes, with 7 against and 2 not voting.

They plans to officially present this request to the Uefa executive committee, seeking the prompt ban of the IFA from Uefa competitions.

In an extraordinary general meeting of the FAI, an standard motion was put to delegates. It passed by a large margin.

Earlier Uefa Considerations

The European body had previously paused plans to ban Israeli football at the end of September, following the revealing of Donald Trump's proposed peace plan for the region.

While they never officially confirmed considering an special session on the issue, preparations were believed to be quite advanced.

International Backdrop

This Irish move comes after comparable demands in September from the leaders of both Turkey and Norway's football associations for banning Israel from global football.

Those requests were made after United Nations experts asked world and European football bodies to ban Israel, referencing a UN commission of inquiry report that claimed Israel of committing genocide during the war in Gaza.

Israel has rejected these allegations and described the report as scandalous.

Possible Consequences

Should Uefa decide to ban the IFA, it would likely create tension with the US administration – joint hosts for the 2026 World Cup – which strongly opposes such an action.

Even though Uefa has the authority to exclude Israeli teams from its tournaments, it might not be able to stop them from taking part in qualification for the World Cup, which falls under world football's governing body.