It draws heavily on reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the ICJ’s advisory opinions, and provisional measures on Gaza.
A notable section calls on the Government to: “deny any Israeli football players and staff, Israeli officials, including Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports, Makhlouf Zohar, and President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and Israeli fans who have participated in violations of international law, entry into Ireland;”
The fixtures in question are the away leg on 27 September and the home leg on 4 October.
The FAI has previously confirmed it intends to fulfil the fixtures, citing the risk of serious sporting sanctions, disqualification from competition, and damage to Irish football’s long-term interests.
The motion also references FIFA and UEFA’s ban on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and historical sporting boycotts of apartheid South Africa.
It further urges the Government to implement sanctions, sign the UN International Convention against Apartheid in Sports, and send copies of the motion to the FAI, UEFA, and FIFA.
Critics of the motion are likely to argue that the motion politicises sport in a selective manner and places the Irish taxpayer on the hook for potential fines while the call to bar Israel’s head of state and fans from entering Ireland risks being seen as an extraordinary escalation that goes well beyond football governance.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has previously indicated that Ireland does not want to be “self-defeating” by forfeiting competitive opportunities, while the Government has supported the FAI’s decision to proceed.
The Social Democrats Party is also set to bring forward its motion on the same issue on Wednesday morning. It will also call on government to “support Irish sporting bodies to boycott fixtures, events, and competitions, where Israel is competing, as long as the genocide and illegal occupation continues.”