The Israeli national football team wore black armbands bearing the date “7.10” during their Nations League match against Ireland on Sunday, marking the anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The gesture followed a similar one by Irish players, who initially wore black armbands in protest of the conflict in Gaza. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and was held in the Serbian town of Backa Topola, after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) declined to host the fixture on Irish soil due to security concerns and ongoing calls for a boycott.
The contest was marked by political tension, continuing a pattern seen in last week’s first meeting between the two sides in Hungary, where Ireland secured a 3-0 victory. In both matches, Irish players bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem, and the teams refused to engage in the customary handshake. Ireland’s refusal to host Israel stemmed from concerns over potential security risks amid widespread domestic opposition to the war in Gaza, as Ireland has traditionally expressed support for the Palestinian cause.
Ireland’s head coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, described the period surrounding the fixtures as deeply challenging. “I’m absolutely delighted this has finished, it has taken a toll on all of us,” he said. “I’ve given so much credit to the players, they have been absolutely amazing in tough times and I wish no national team to go through what we have gone through for the last two weeks.”
On the field, Troy Parrott scored a penalty in the 39th minute to give Ireland an early lead after Dor Peretz fouled Jimmy Dunne in the box. Peretz equalized shortly after halftime, capitalizing on a deflection off Ireland defender Liam Scales. The match saw visible tension between the squads, with a clash occurring as they left the pitch at halftime.
The draw leaves Ireland third in Group 3 of League B in the Nations League, behind Austria and Kosovo, while Israel sits at the bottom with two points. Hallgrimsson called the match lacking in energy, saying it “felt like a friendly… there were no people watching, no spark in the game,” and acknowledged that Ireland should have performed better in the first half.
The Israeli Football Association confirmed that UEFA had approved their request to wear black armbands. According to official Israeli figures, the October 7 attack by Hamas was the deadliest in Israel’s history, resulting in 1,221 deaths. Subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused extensive destruction and resulted in over 74,200 fatalities, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas and whose data is recognized by the United Nations.
Earlier in the week, Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Austria in Dublin was briefly interrupted twice by pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Since the outbreak of the conflict, Israel has been unable to host international matches domestically due to security concerns, prompting relocation of fixtures to neutral venues like Hungary and Serbia.
The buildup to the matches also sparked diplomatic tensions. Prior to the fixtures, Ireland’s goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad a day before the first game in Hungary. Additionally, Hallgrimsson drew criticism for comments made last month in which he stated, “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Zionists, we’re not playing with Zionist.” The Israeli Football Association condemned the remarks as “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy.” Following the latest match, Hallgrimsson expressed regret over his choice of words, saying he would approach the matter differently in hindsight.