Ireland skip Israel handshakes as Hallgrimsson says players raised awareness

Republic of Ireland players declined pre-match handshakes and a pennant exchange with Israel, bowed their heads during Israel’s anthem and wore black armbands before winning 3-0 in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday, 27 September. Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said afterward that their actions had raised awareness worldwide. His assessment comes amid calls for Ireland to boycott its Nations League fixtures against Israel over the war in Gaza.

BBC Sport reported Hallgrimsson saying that protesting was intended to raise awareness of a situation. He hoped people would understand what the players had done and said the period leading up to the match had been difficult for many of them. The available reporting does not measure the gestures’ audience or establish that they changed public opinion.

What happened before kick-off

The teams did not exchange handshakes or pennants. Ireland’s players stood with their heads bowed during the Israeli national anthem. Their black armbands were worn ‘in recognition of all lives lost in the [Gaza] conflict,’ according to Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell, as quoted by BBC Sport. Those gestures allowed the players to take the field while making their position visible.

Israel were the nominal hosts but nominated Debrecen as the venue. The match took place in an almost empty stadium, with The Irish Times estimating that about 100 Israel supporters and a handful of Irish supporters attended. The FAI had said tickets would not be sold to Republic of Ireland fans, BBC Sport reported.

A squad vote after boycott calls

The players’ decision to take part followed a meeting at their hotel on Saturday. Courell said a ‘significant majority’ had voted to fulfil the fixture, though he did not disclose the numbers. The Irish Times reported that the players missed their scheduled training session while they discussed the match and that the FAI’s news conference began more than five hours later than planned.

Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the two matches against Israel. He said it would be wrong for him to participate. Hallgrimsson said Bazunu would remain available for Thursday’s match against Austria in Dublin, according to BBC Sport. The coach told the BBC report that nobody questioned Bazunu’s decision, though its timing had made it difficult for the team to respond.

The decision followed months of pressure on the FAI to withdraw from the Israel games. More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter urging the team not to play, BBC Sport reported. The match nevertheless went ahead after the squad vote, making the pre-match gestures and armbands the players’ public response on the day.

Reactions and the return fixture

Hallgrimsson described the days before the match as the toughest of his coaching career, The Guardian reported from Debrecen. He said the players had represented themselves with dignity and hoped they would retain the support of Irish people. His separate claim that their actions raised awareness worldwide remains his judgment about the protest, rather than a demonstrated outcome.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticised Ireland’s actions. AFP reported that he accused the country of being ‘on the wrong side of history’ in a post on X. The exchange showed how the gestures were received by an Israeli government figure, though the available reporting does not establish a broader public response.

Ireland and Israel are scheduled to meet again on 4 October in Bačka Topola, Serbia. The fixture had originally been due to take place in Dublin, but the FAI moved it to a neutral venue behind closed doors. Bazunu has said he will not take part in that match. The FAI had not indicated after Sunday’s game that Ireland would withdraw from the return fixture, The Irish Times reported.