Ireland beat Israel but no handshakes amid Gaza war
The teams skipped the traditional pre-match handshakes and did not exchange pennants either.
Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in a Nations League clash yesterday (27 September) amid an eerie and sombre atmosphere, with the Irish players wearing black armbands over the war in Gaza.
Ireland's players also bowed their heads as the Israeli national anthem was played at the near-empty stadium in Debrecen, Hungary.
The teams skipped the traditional pre-match handshakes and did not exchange pennants either.
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Troy Parrott made a heart sign with his hands after opening the scoring in the 14th minute, while Jack Moylan kissed the Irish badge on his jersey and his black armband after netting the third goal 25 minutes into the match.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Ireland of being "on the wrong side of history" over the players' actions.
In a lengthy post on X, Saar referenced the Irish team giving the Nazi salute in 1939 ahead of a match against Germany in Bremen.
He also referred to Irish neutrality during the Second World War and the condolences offered by then-prime minister Eamon de Valera to the German representative in Dublin following Adolf Hitler's death.
"Almost 90 years have passed. Ireland's unique talent for finding itself on the wrong side of history remains intact," he added.
The game, in which Israel were the nominal hosts, had been in doubt earlier in the week until Ireland's players voted overwhelmingly to fulfil the fixture, despite pressure from back home to boycott the match.
Only one player, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, pulled out, saying "it would be wrong to participate" in either this match or the return fixture in Serbia on 4 October due to the "killing of innocent people".
The Irish federation did not reserve any tickets for fans to attend the match, while public broadcaster RTÉ was due to show it without commentary.
"Sports, soccer, basketball, everything is for the public, the people, and not for politics," 31-year-old software development teacher Mol Michael, draped in an Israeli scarf, told AFP.
"Once you decide, because of politics, to cancel the Irish audience, this is a really stupid move from Ireland, in my opinion."
Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, with sympathy often linked to the country's own history of British rule.
Dublin formally recognised a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway, and has repeatedly criticised Israel over the Gaza conflict.
Israel strongly rejects allegations that its conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide.
