Irish soccer team would ‘miss out’ if Israel matches were boycotted – Harris

Ireland’s soccer team would be “losing out” if matches against Israel were boycotted, the Tánaiste has said.

The Republic of Ireland were drawn this week in a group with Israel as part of the Uefa Nations League, prompting questions about whether the matches would be boycotted or pose security questions if they were played in Ireland.

The two teams are due to play each other in the autumn: the away leg on September 27th and the home fixture on October 4th.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said Ireland would fulfil the Israel fixtures, despite the FAI General Assembly voting overwhelmingly in favour of a motion mandating the governing body to call for Israel to be suspended from European competitions.

The FAI then wrote to Uefa, European football’s governing body, calling for Israel to be banned from its competitions.

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said last year he did not understand why Israel had not been banned from football, while former Ireland manager Brian Kerr said the FAI needed to “show a real bit of balls and refuse to play Israel”.

Israel’s Football Association has said it was “hoping to welcome” the Ireland side to “a sea of blue and white in a packed stadium” in Israel, despite the fact they have been playing their home games at neutral venues in countries such as Hungary.

On Saturday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ireland should not play the matches and Israel should be “given the red card”.

Tánaiste Simon Harris said: “We have to think this thing through here.

“We all share, I think, a general disgust at the actions in the Middle East and the genocidal situation in Gaza, of that there’s no doubt, and we’ve been strong and clear on that as a country and as a