Ireland refuse handshake with Israel and don armbands in Nations League tie

Ireland players again wore black armbands in recognition of Palestinians killed in Gaza and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem before the teams' second UEFA Nations League football match on Sunday.

Key points

• After a foul by Peretz on Jimmy Dunne, offered Ireland a 1-0 halftime lead, troy Parrott's penalty in the 39th minute.
• Protesters threw tennis balls with Palestinian flags onto the field during Ireland's 2-2 draw with Austria on Thursday.
• This person refused to shake Israel captain Manor Solomon's hand before the first match in Debrecen, Hungary, last week.
• Finn Azaz, whose mother has Israeli heritage, was among the Irish substitutes after playing from the start against Austria on Thursday.
• Solomon was dropped to the bench for Sunday's match in Backa Topola, Serbia.

For context, the League 3 Group B match concluded in a 1-1 draw and, despite being played behind closed doors and on neutral ground, was once again played out in a confrontational manner.

Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher stepped in as captain for Dara O'Shea. This person was excused to be with his wife for the birth of their child, and pointedly avoided shaking hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz, despite completing the usual pre-match formality with the referee and one of his assistants.

Kelleher's action was a repeat of O'Shea's. This person refused to shake Israel captain Manor Solomon's hand before the first match in Debrecen, Hungary, last week. Ireland went on to win that game 3-0 through three first-half goals.

Solomon was dropped to the bench for Sunday's match in Backa Topola, Serbia. Israel forward Sayed Abu Farchi was back in the squad after serving a suspension for getting sent off after his gun-simulation goal celebration during Israel's 3-1 defeat to Austria on September 25.

After a foul by Peretz on Jimmy Dunne, offered Ireland a 1-0 halftime lead, troy Parrott's penalty in the 39th minute. Although the referee rapidly intervened, a disagreement additionally broke out on the sidelines as the players produced their way off the field for the interval.

Peretz secured a point for Israel with a poked effort from close range in the 47th minute.

Sunday's game was initially supposed to be played in Dublin, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved it to a neutral venue for "operational reasons" in June after widespread calls for a boycott in protest of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. The FAI remarked the game would be played with no fans present.

It followed the FAI's motion the previous November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions.

Though the pressure was greater during the first game, all the Irish players had been under pressure from home – where affinity with Palestinians is solid – to boycott the second match against Israel.

"I felt that pressure growing day by day, and it's getting almost to a breaking limit now, " Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson remarked at the time.

Ultimately, only reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu decided to skip both of the contentious games, saying in an official note that it was his "personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong".

More than 160 Irish sportspeople had signed an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider its decision to go ahead with the two games.

Before the departure for Hungary, individuals protested outside the team hotel in Dublin for the players to boycott the matches. The SIPTU trade union displayed a massive poster in central Dublin beside the River Liffey asking the players to "Go with your conscience!" and "Don't play with genocide" beside an image of a blood-splattered ball.

Former Ireland coach Brian Kerr remarked the FAI had "lost the respect of the Irish people" for going ahead with the games.

But the FAI argued UEFA could sanction the team. Ireland is cohosting the 2028 European Championship with England, Wales and Scotland.

Protesters threw tennis balls with Palestinian flags onto the field during Ireland's 2-2 draw with Austria on Thursday. A man with a Palestinian flag additionally tried running onto the field.

On Saturday, an Israeli journalist stated during the pre-match news conference that the Irish players had called the Israeli players "monkeys" during last week's game, leading to an immediate rebuke from Irish communications officer Kieran Crowley. This person remarked it was "a lie" and concluded the news conference.

When both the news conference and training were delayed for hours while they deliberated, the players had only decided to go ahead with the fixtures after a dramatic day in Debrecen before the first match. They reportedly voted 14-8 in favour of continuing after Bazunu's withdrawal that morning.

Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ was only providing stripped-back coverage of both games against Israel to meet contractual obligations. There was no studio presentation, commentary on the international feed, or analysis. RTÉ remarked it was not accepting advertising or sponsorship around either game.

According to RTÉ additionally lately, ireland will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second year due to Israel's participation.

For now, ireland refuse handshake with Israel and don armbands in Nations League tie remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.