Several players refused to face them last year in the previous campaign over their concerns about the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and the camp remains uneasy about the fixture.
Captain Edel Thornton referred to how “a lot had happened emotionally” within the team when they ended a four-year wait for victory with a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday.
Threats of Fiba fines of up to €180,000 and suspension have given Basketball Ireland and the team little choice but to play Israel again in the neutral venue of Latvia today.
But Weldon said last week they had taken “comfort” from playing them twice last year amid a diplomatic storm, even if opposition remains.
Campaign group Irish Sport for Palestine wrote to Sports Minister Patrick O’Donovan last week expressing their opposition to the game in a letter signed by 70 TDs and senators.
Fiba Europe are set to discuss suspending Israel over the situation in the Middle East at its board meeting in Serbia on Friday. Although banning Israel seems unlikely given Uefa recently shelved similar plans amid talks of a peace plan.
Ireland’s Sorcha Tiernan in action against Israel’s Dor Saar during their Fiba Women’s EuroBasket Championship qualifier at the Rimi Olympic Centre in Riga in February 2024. Photo: Oksana Dzadan/Sportsfile
On the court, today’s opposition provide a formidable challenge but Weldon hopes Saturday’s victory can provide a much-needed boost.
“It would have been very hard getting on the plane, we’re leaving at five o’clock in the morning now, and heading out to the airport and flying out to Riga into a very tough game,” he said after Saturday’s victory.
“Theirs was a very tight game on Wednesday. It was around 90 points as well. Look, it’s massive. We could be 2-1 on Tuesday and that’s our target.”
Israel’s new head coach Shira Haelion – the country’s first female boss – has begun her campaign with two wins behind closed doors.
Dor Saar played both those games having claimed Ireland were “quite antisemitic” before last February’s game, forcing Basketball Ireland to deny the allegations.
Although Alyssa Baron proved a big scoring threat on the court, shooting 40 points against Bosnia and Luxembourg. Both sides did not field all their players.
But Ireland can take heart from Tuesday’s win over Group A top seeds Bosnia, where just eight of 12 players took to the court.
While victory would help Ireland’s hopes, they will be happy to have this game behind them.
Israel v Ireland tips off at 6pm in Riga’s Komandas Sporta Spelu Halle and is available to watch on youtube.com/@FIBA.