In recent days, questions have risen regarding the Irish Football Association’s initiative to suspend Israel from UEFA, and it now appears the move is gaining traction.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has passed a resolution with an overwhelming majority supporting Israel’s suspension from European football. According to a report by Ynet, a growing coalition of national federations, including Turkey (TFF), Norway (NFF), and Slovenia (FAS), is now joining the Irish effort.
Their goal: to bring a formal motion to UEFA’s Executive Committee demanding Israel’s suspension. The claims behind this campaign do not relate directly to the ongoing war in Gaza. Instead, the focus lies on two main points, the participation of Israeli clubs operating in West Bank settlements, and the alleged failure of Israeli football authorities to implement UEFA’s anti-racism protocols.
If confirmed, this development marks a strategic shift. In the past, similar attempts to sanction Israel came “from above,” via FIFA or UEFA congress discussions. This time, the push appears to come “from below”, through the member associations themselves, seeking to build grassroots legitimacy and pressure UEFA leadership, including President Aleksander Čeferin, to act.
While it’s too early to predict the outcome, the campaign’s momentum and the timing, amid heightened scrutiny of Israel’s global sporting ties, make this one of the most politically charged moments UEFA has faced in years.
The coming weeks will reveal which federations join the cause, and how UEFA chooses to respond.
Ireland and other European FAs are joining efforts to push UEFA to suspend Israel over settlement clubs and racism allegations.