Former Republic of Ireland winger James McClean has accused the Football Association of Ireland [FAI] of not having a “backbone” regarding the planned Nations League games against Israel later this year.
On Thursday, an open letter from Irish Sport For Palestine which has launched a ‘Stop The Game’ campaign, called on the FAI to boycott the fixtures on 27 September and 4 October.
Brian Kerr, a past Republic of Ireland manager, is one of the letter’s 39 signatories with McClean endorsing the campaign on his Instagram account.
While accepting “it’s a tough one” for the players who would lose “an opportunity to play a football game for your country”, McClean – capped 103 times for Republic of Ireland – said there would not be “too many if any objecting” if the games were boycotted and also suggested “the decision should be taken out of their hands”.
“The game should never be going ahead,” the 37-year-old Derry City player posted on his Instagram account.
“If there is one country that should recognise oppression and the turmoil that brings then it’s Ireland.. although with the decision makers in this country you’d be mistaken to think we ever had any history of it.”
Irish Sport For Palestine maintains the games should not take place, citing what is describes as “clear and ongoing serious breaches of Uefa and Fifa statute regarding Israeli teams playing on occupied Palestinian lands” and “a brutal system of apartheid and genocide, both of which are accepted by the Irish government”.
Israel has regularly denied committing genocide or war crimes and has said its actions in Gaza have been justified as a means of self-defence.