This is a question of Ireland's obligations under international law, our commitment to human rights and our responsibility to act consistently when serious allegations of violations of international law are before us. The Irish football community, campaigners, trade unionists, community organisations and ordinary people rightly say that proceeding with this game risks normalising a situation that demands accountability. They point to the historic role that sporting boycotts played in challenging apartheid in South Africa, the Yugoslav invasion of Kosovo and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, to name just a few. They ask why quite similar principles should not apply today. The answer is that of course they should. Moving the game to Hungary or anywhere else is no better. If anything, it would be worse as it would deny people the right to protest, it would be an act of sportswashing and it would amount to hiding genocide. It cannot happen. This game cannot go ahead. Instead, the Government should support calls to cancel the game on legal and moral grounds. It should uphold their obligations under international law. It should deny entry to any Israeli football players, staff, fans and government officials who may have participated in violations of international law. It should cover any sanctions the FAI may incur and should sanctions be imposed, support any appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It should sign and ratify the International Convention against Apartheid in Sports and support the calls to ban Israel from all sporting competitions.

Sentiment score: -0.14