Ireland and Israel draw amid renewed pre-match protest
Ireland wore black armbands and stand-in captain Caoimhin Kelleher declined a handshake before the teams shared a 1-1 draw in Serbia.
The Republic of Ireland and Israel drew 1-1 in their UEFA Nations League match on Sunday, played behind closed doors at a neutral venue in Serbia. Ireland’s players wore black armbands in recognition of Palestinians killed in Gaza and bowed their heads during Israel’s national anthem, Al Jazeera reported.
Stand-in captain Caoimhin Kelleher did not shake hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz before kick-off. Ireland had also refused handshakes and worn black armbands before the teams’ first match, which Ireland won 3-0.
Troy Parrott gave Ireland the lead from the penalty spot in the 39th minute. Peretz equalised two minutes after half-time to earn Israel a point.
The fixture was originally scheduled for Dublin. The Football Association of Ireland moved it to a neutral venue, citing “operational reasons”, after calls to boycott the matches over Israel’s war on Gaza.
Reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from both fixtures, saying it was his personal belief that killing innocent people was wrong. The supplied report also describes a brief disagreement between players near half-time, which the referee intervened to stop.
