FAI Passes Resolution Urging Uefa Ban on Israel

Ireland's football governing body has given the green light to present a official proposal to Uefa, demanding the exclusion of Israeli football from continental club and international tournaments.

Grounds for the Proposed Suspension

The resolution, that had been put forward by Dublin club Bohemians, cited alleged violations by the IFA of a couple of important Uefa statutes.

• Failure to implement and enforce an proper policy against racism.
• Organisation of football teams in disputed territories lacking the consent of the Palestrian FA.

Vote Outcome and Future Actions

According to an official statement from the FAI, the resolution was backed by 74 votes, with 7 against and two abstentions.

The association intends to formally submit this motion to the UEFA's decision-making body, seeking the immediate suspension of the Israel Football Association from European tournaments.

During a special assembly of the Football Association of Ireland, an standard motion was posed to members. It was approved by a large margin.

Earlier Uefa Considerations

Uefa had earlier paused plans to ban Israel at the end of September, following the revealing of Donald Trump's proposed peace plan for the region.

While they never publicly stated considering an special session on the issue, plans were understood to be quite advanced.

International Context

This Irish resolution follows similar calls in September from the heads of both Turkey and Norway's football associations for banning Israel from international competition.

These appeals were made after United Nations experts asked Fifa and Uefa to suspend the Israeli FA, referencing a UN commission of inquiry report that claimed Israel of committing genocide during the war in Gaza.

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

Potential Consequences

Should European football's authority choose to suspend the IFA, it would likely strain relations 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 Israel or its clubs from its tournaments, it may not be able to prevent them from taking part in World Cup qualifiers, which falls under world football's governing body.