Ireland’s Gaza tribute draws fury from Israeli foreign minister before 3-0 win

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticised Ireland after the Republic of Ireland players wore black armbands in solidarity with victims of the war in Gaza before their Nations League match against Israel.

Ireland won the game 3-0 on Sunday in Debrecen, Hungary, but the political dispute surrounding the match overshadowed much of the occasion.

In a post on X before kick-off, Sa’ar accused Ireland of standing “on the wrong side of history”. He also compared the players’ armbands with the black flag associated with jihadist groups, reigniting diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Sa’ar used a photograph from 1939 in his message. The image shows Republic of Ireland players performing a Nazi salute before a friendly against Germany in Bremen, a match that ended 1-1.

“At that time, they were giving the Nazi salute, but this time they are standing with Palestinian terrorism,” Sa’ar wrote.

He later added: “Above the black armbands that the Irish players will wear tonight, the black flag of jihadism is flying.”

The armbands were worn by the Ireland players as a gesture of solidarity with people affected by the conflict in Gaza. Sa’ar’s comments came despite the match passing without any major incidents inside the stadium.

The fixture in Debrecen was played in front of a limited attendance, with large sections of the stands almost empty. There was also no handshake between the teams, either during the pre-match ceremony or after the final whistle.

Ireland completed a 3-0 victory in a match marked by political tension and the continuing fallout from the war in Gaza. The black armbands became the focus of a fresh public dispute between the two sides before the game had begun.