Editorial: A neutral venue does not make the game neutral

The FAI are in an awkward position but they certainly could have done so much better.

This week they confirmed the Republic of Ireland’s extremely controversial Nations League tie against Israel is set to take place on Sunday 4 October at a neutral venue in Serbia. Serbia, of course, is not a haven of tolerance and respect. It is also one of Israel’s greatest allies in Europe. Serbia has deep trade, tourism, and cultural ties with Israel, making it one of the few nations openly supporting Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. Serbia has a multi-billion dollar deal with Israeli defence companies while directly supplying Israel with munitions that are presumably being used in Gaza. This is not a good outcome for Ireland or the FAI. Of course, they are in something of a difficult position as they don’t want to renege on fixtures, which means a loss of important income and they could be sanctioned by UEFA if they do not field a team against Israel. Now, the burden to do the right thing will probably fall on the players who will be put in an invidious position. They may be forced to choose between not representing their country or playing against a country that the International Court of Justice has said is plausibly committing the crime of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. A UN Independent Commission of Inquiry and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have also concluded that Israel is committing a genocide currently. Should we be playing against Israel? Of course not. Whatever sporting sanctions we could incur are hugely irrelevant in the face of what the Palestinians are suffering and continue to suffer. The change of venue away from Ireland has been approved by UEFA and the game will be played in the TSC Arena in Backa Topola behind-closed-doors, with the kick-off time to be confirmed. Ireland will also face Israel in their ‘home' game which will take place at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday 27 September. The prospect of the Republic of Ireland playing Israel has already lead to a number of protests and calls for Ireland to boycott the game. Fans protested at the Republic of Ireland’s most recent game at home against Qatar before the World Cup, as well as at many League of Ireland games. The protests will continue and so they should. We should not be playing Israel in any sporting event at the moment. As the Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said in the Dáil last month, a neutral venue will not make the game neutral.