Irish PM condemns Israel FA comments about Hallgrimsson as 'unacceptable'

Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin has publicly criticised comments made by the Israel Football Association about Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, describing them as "unacceptable" and saying they "should be withdrawn".

The dispute began after Israel's football governing body posted on X accusing Hallgrimsson of "ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity", responding to comments he made the previous week in which he said his team was playing against genocide rather than with it, and playing against Israel rather than with Israel.

Martin made his remarks to reporters in New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly. He noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had again stated he has never in his lifetime witnessed the scale of death and destruction seen as a result of the Israeli government's war in Gaza, which followed a Hamas attack. Martin said the Irish manager was making essentially the same point.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has not officially responded to the Israeli federation's comments.

The two national teams are due to meet twice within a week in the Nations League — first in Israel's designated 'home' fixture in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday, followed by the return match at a neutral venue in Backa Topola, Serbia, on 4 October.

Calls for a boycott of the fixtures have been growing in Ireland amid the situation in Gaza. A protest took place outside the Republic of Ireland team's hotel in Dublin on Monday, and more than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter urging the FAI to withdraw from the matches.

The dispute traces back to the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive in Gaza, in which more than 73,000 people have been killed according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable. Israel denies committing genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity, saying its military operations in Gaza have been conducted in self-defence and in line with international law.