The Ireland Women’s basketball team has refused to partake in “traditional pre-match arrangements” with their Israeli opponents this evening.
Basketball Ireland said the team took the decision in response to recent comments made by Israeli players and coaching staff.
It comes after Israeli player Dor Sa’ar accused the team of anti-Semitism in an interview on the Israeli Basketball Federation’s website.
“As a direct result of recent comments made by Israeli players and coaching staff – including inflammatory and wholly inaccurate accusations of anti-Semitism published on official Israeli federation channels – our players will not be partaking in traditional pre-match arrangements,” Basketball Ireland said in a statement.
The body said the decision included, “exchanging of gifts and formal handshakes before or after the game”.
It said the Irish players would also line up for the Irish National Anthem beside their bench rather than at centre court.
“Basketball Ireland fully supports our players in their decision,” it said.
Statement ahead of today's FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 Qualifier. pic.twitter.com/iz6s88febf
— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) February 8, 2024
The Irish team has been engulfed in calls to boycott the match in recent weeks; however, Basketball Ireland refused, warning that to do so would mean “a decade in the wilderness” for women’s basketball in Ireland.
Several squad members refused to play in the fixture due to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza and the deaths of civilians in the enclave since October.
On The Pat Kenny Show earlier, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar dismissed the accusation of anti-Semitism.
“There is a strategy which is employed by extreme Zionists to say that anyone who is critical of Israel is anti-Semitic - and they actually admit that themselves, that this is their view, that being anti-Israel or anti-Israeli policy equals anti-Semitism,” he said.
“I think that's profoundly wrong and I think it devalues anti-Semitism and I fear that it may even start to make anti-Semitism acceptable – which would be a terrible thing because anti-Semitism is a terrible form of racism.”
He said he did not believe a boycott was the right way to go.
“I have a very clear view on the general issue of boycotts,” he said. “Whether it's sports, whether it's music, whatever it is, I don't think we should disadvantage ourselves.
The match was originally due to go ahead in Israel last year but was rescheduled due to the war and is taking place in Latvia today.
You can listen back to the Taoiseach here:
Main image shows the Ireland team before their qualifier against France at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, 12-11-2023. Image: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
