Danny Healy-Rae

Overall sentiment: -0.08
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I thank Sinn Féin and Deputy Michael Collins. Each and every one of us knows what harm the Israelis have done all over the world and continue to do. We do not support that. I am concerned about stopping our Irish team from playing a game and I wonder whether it may have far-reaching repercussions for them. The players have trained and come this far. Will it be just this game they forfeit? How many points will they lose? Will they be thrown out of the competition? I am worried about all those things. I would like to know what the players themselves think. It should be up to them and the FAI to decide what is right for our team. I do not blame Sinn Féin for being angry. The Social Democrats have tabled another motion on the same matter. In no way in the world do I blame them. We all know what harm Israel is doing, the loss of lives, the loss of little children and the murder that is going on. We are helpless. We cannot do a bit about it. We do not have an army. We are a neutral country. I know it would be a good message to send to the Israeli Government but it will take no notice of that. It is our Irish team I am concerned about. Do the players want to play? Does the FAI want to proceed? It should be up to them. I do not want to see the Israelis coming here to play a game. Maybe it should be played in some neutral country. I have to know more about what implications this will have for the team. We remember the glory days of Jackie Charlton and we still appreciate, while the players and teams have not been doing as well in recent times, they are our team. They are the Irish team and we must stand by them. Whatever they want is what I want. They cannot be blamed for playing Israel. UEFA or whoever drew up the schedule and ordained that Israel was to play Ireland. Maybe it is UEFA have a right to kick Israel out of the competition but it is wrong to blame our players, our countrymen, for playing in this competition. Will it finish them for the whole of this tournament? Those are the questions we need to ask. Will it throw them back an awful lot? We need to know that. I am concerned. I do not blame Sinn Féin for tabling the motion. It is on everyone's minds and everyone is concerned about the reckless harm Israel has done. Netanyahu and the others are criminals. I have no problem saying that because they have done terrible, terrible things. We are deciding the fate of Irish team here. I do not think the Government would be doing the right thing to stop them from playing unless we get direct confirmation from the team or the management about what they want to do.

Sentiment score: -0.08