Ireland Refuses Handshake with Israel and Wears Armbands in Tense UEFA Nations League Draw

Irish players bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem and wore black armbands in recognition of Palestinians killed in Gaza before their second UEFA Nations League football match on Sunday.

The League 3 Group B match ended in a 1-1 draw, played behind closed doors and on neutral ground in Backa Topola, Serbia, amid a confrontational atmosphere.

Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher stepped in as captain for Dara O’Shea—who was excused to be with his wife for the birth of their child—and pointedly avoided shaking hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz prior to kickoff.

This action mirrored O’Shea's decision not to shake hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon before the first match in Debrecen, Hungary, which Ireland won 3-0.

Troy Parrott opened the scoring for Ireland with a penalty in the 39th minute following a foul by Peretz on Jimmy Dunne. However, Peretz secured a point for Israel with a close-range goal in the 47th minute.

The fixture was originally scheduled to be played in Dublin, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved it to a neutral venue in June for operational reasons following widespread calls for a boycott over Israel's military actions in Gaza. The FAI had previously called on UEFA to ban Israel from competitions.

Intense public pressure from home saw over 160 Irish sportspeople sign an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider playing the fixtures. Reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was the only player to skip both games, stating his personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.

The build-up to the matches was further strained by controversy, including a denied allegation made by an Israeli journalist during a pre-news conference regarding player comments, and limited coverage from Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ.