Revealed: Ireland have NOT decided whether to play second Israel match on Sunday – as Irish pubs blacklist fixture and thousands sign petition to stop the game

Ireland have not decided whether they will play Sunday’s ‘home’ behind-closed-doors fixture with Israel in Serbia, with thousands of fans backing a boycott. 

Ireland and Israel played in Hungary on Sunday night with Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, 24, pulling out of the highly-charged Nations League match on ethical grounds and a petition to stop the game has been signed by almost 20,000.

Hundreds of pubs in Ireland refused to show the first encounter and have vowed to do so again for Sunday’s game, while there were protests outside the team hotel in Dublin. 

Skipper Dara O’Shea did not shake hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon for the coin toss and Ireland wore black armbands throughout the game ‘in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict’.

The Ireland players also snubbed the Israel National Anthem by pointedly looking at the ground while it played. 

Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson had previously said his team are ‘playing against genocide’ amid Israel’s attacks on Palestine, where more than 70,000 people have been killed since the war in Gaza began, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. 

A majority of players, described as ‘significant’ by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), ultimately elected to fulfil their ‘away’ clash, a contest that was swirling in a debate that shows little sign of abating before Thursday’s meeting with Austria at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. 

On Saturday, FAI president Paul Cooke reaffirmed their intention was to play Israel again in Backa Topola, but said his organisation was taking things ‘one game at a time’.

Manager Hallgrimsson, also speaking after the 3-0 triumph in Hungary, said of the situation: ‘We haven’t decided what we will do 100%. When we get home tonight, we’ll give them a day off tomorrow to go home, and share a day with their families and friends and loved ones, and then we’ll come back and prepare for the Austria game. Hopefully we can finish that one and take a discussion.’

Among the 140 pubs refusing to show the first match was Peadar Browns in Dublin, with owner Aidan Brown telling Al Jazeera: ‘We committed about a month ago not to show any of the upcoming Nations League fixtures until Ireland made a stand against Israel.’

After Sunday’s game, Israel captain Solomon hit out at his Irish opponents, saying: ‘They said nonsense [to us] during the game, I don’t want to talk about them.

‘If I say what I think about them, I’ll probably be banned for a few games so I don’t want to say. Of course they hate us and we don’t like them.

‘I’m already looking forward to the next game against them, it’s going to be completely different. What they did with the anthem? I’m not interested in them, we have a country that is ten times better than theirs, stronger, an amazing country with amazing people. [The Irish] can play all their tricks. We are Israelis and love the country. And that will always be the case.’

Bazunu was the only member of the Republic squad to officially make himself unavailable for selection for the Israel matches, but, as of Saturday, the plan was for the Bolton goalkeeper to remain with the team and be with them for the Austria match.

Asked if it was fair to say there were vastly differing opinions among his men over the Israel tie, Hallgrimsson said: ‘All I can say is I think we are all uncomfortable, number one.

‘Number two, we have different opinions, and we should allow people to have different opinions. It’s not one opinion that’s right and all the others are wrong.

‘We have different players in the squad that come from different backgrounds, so we need to be careful that everybody has a say in our decisions. But it’s tough when there are different decisions.

Israel captain manor Solomon boasted how his country is ‘ten times better’ than Ireland – after the Irish players refused to shake hands ahead of their match 

‘Just like politics, some parties just can’t work together, but it’s been amazing and I hope you will see the tough times the players have been through and come out as winners, because they want to represent their country. That’s their desire. I hope everybody sees that.’

Bazunu came forward on Saturday morning to outline his stance, which he later confirmed in a statement on Instagram. That triggered a lengthy team meeting that resulted in the vote to proceed with the first Israel clash.

The Bolton Wanderers star justified his decision by saying: ‘I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle’.

‘My decision is based purely upon my belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.

‘It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition to the Israeli people or the Jewish community but against the atrocities in the region.

‘There are few times when you get a chance in life to stand for something bigger and I strongly believe that this is one of them.’  

Hallgrimsson has repeatedly insisted he and his team have found themselves in a no-win situation. 

The Republic boss nevertheless does not fear Bazunu will be perceived as ‘good’ or the rest of the players ‘bad’ in Dublin.

‘I think both can come out as winners,’ he added. ‘It was obviously a brave decision for Gav to do it. It was tough for us and a lot of players, and we needed to react, but obviously everyone supports Gav and don’t want him to feel bad about what he did.

‘It would have been better for me as a coach that the decision came earlier, but when he told me, he explained that overnight he’d changed his mind and didn’t want to play.

‘That’s understandable. Nobody forces a player to play for us.’

The episode is the latest sign of growing hostility towards Israel and comes weeks after 12 countries including the UK, France and Canada announced sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank earlier this month. 

The match came against a backdrop of ongoing and increasingly volatile disagreement between the two countries about Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

In May 2024, Ireland officially recognised a Palestinian state – alongside Spain and Norway – and later that year joined South Africa’s Gaza genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice. 

The country has also refused to take part in Eurovision since 2026 due to Israel’s ongoing participation in the song contest and was the first EU nation to boycott goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

In June, the country issued travel bans on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage.

Troy Parrott celebrates with a heart gesture after scoring against Israel in the 3-0 win

While a ceasefire that took effect last October 10 has halted the heaviest fighting, Israeli strikes have continued in what the military has said are responses to threats or attacks.

Since the ceasefire, 1,145 Palestinians have been killed, said the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government. 

Meanwhile, seven Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

Next steps in the US-brokered ceasefire remain largely stalled. 

Israeli forces now control over half of the territory, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they will not withdraw until Hamas disarms.

On September 8, the UK announced sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, following reports of some 1,400 attacks by Israeli settlers this year.