Micheal Martin calls Israel FA remarks on Hallgrimsson unacceptable
Speaking from New York at the United Nations General Assembly, Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin condemned the Israel Football Association’s remarks about Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson as “unacceptable” and urged that they be withdrawn. He made the statement on Monday, emphasizing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Hallgrimsson had earlier said, “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, we’re not playing with Israel,” prompting the Israel FA to label his comments as “ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity.”
Israel FA's rebuttal
The Israel Football Association later posted on X, claiming it had contributed to the world with “an impressive number of Nobel Prizes” but lamented it had yet to find “a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach,” adding, “We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”
The Football Association of Ireland did not reply, but Martin reiterated that the remarks were unacceptable, citing UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres’s observation that the world had never seen “the level and scale of death and destruction” caused by the Israeli government’s war on Gaza.
Neutral venues and political fallout
Guterres, speaking earlier that morning, referred to the conflict that began after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, while the Gaza health ministry reports more than 73,000 deaths in the ensuing Israeli offensive.
UEFA rejected a request to separate the two sides, confirming that the Nations League ties will be played on neutral ground: Israel’s ‘home’ match in Debrecen, Hungary on Sunday, and the return fixture in Backa Topola, Serbia on 4 October.
In Dublin, a protest outside the Republic of Ireland team hotel followed an open letter from the Irish Sport for Palestine Group, signed by more than 160 Irish sportspeople, urging the FAI to withdraw from the fixtures.
Hallgrimsson later said he had not received an explanation for why Russia was excluded while Israel was not, and admitted he may have touched on topics he should not have, adding that he tried to be honest and clear about his views.
Israel continues to deny accusations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, insisting its Gaza operations are self‑defence and comply with international law.
The dispute remains unresolved, with calls for a boycott growing and both associations yet to announce any change to the scheduled neutral‑venue meetings.