Republic of Ireland players refused to shake hands with their Israeli counterparts and bowed their heads during Israel’s national anthem ahead of their UEFA Nations League match in Hungary.
There was also no traditional exchange of pennants between Ireland captain Dara O’Shea and Israel captain Manor Solomon, while the Irish players wore black armbands in recognition of lives lost in the Gaza conflict.
The actions came amid mounting calls in Ireland for the national team to boycott fixtures against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Ireland’s players had voted by a significant majority to go ahead with the match, which was played at a neutral venue, but decided not to participate in the usual pre-match handshakes.
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad ahead of the match, saying he believed it would be “wrong to participate.”
Ireland went on to defeat Israel 3-0. (Newswire)
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