Ireland’s women’s basketball team is at the centre of a major antisemitism row over their Women’s European Championship qualifiers against Israel.
Basketball Ireland responded angrily on Wednesday to accusations by Israeli debutante Dor Sa’ar that the Irish side were known to be “quite anti-Semitic”.
Her comments, published on Tuesday on the Israeli Basketball Federation’s website, followed a statement last month by Basketball Ireland in which it said it had “raised strong concerns about these fixtures with Israel, including the option not to play the games” in light of the response to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks there.
Telegraph Sport has been told some Irish players have opted not to travel for Thursday’s first of two qualifiers between the sides, which was postponed from its original November date due to the ongoing war in Gaza before being moved from Israel to Riga, Latvia.
The row has erupted amid major pressure from pro-Palestinian campaigners in Ireland for the national team to boycott the fixtures.
Sa’ar had said of the Irish side: “It’s known that they are quite anti-Semitic and it’s no secret, and maybe that’s why a strong game is expected.
“We have to show that we’re better than them and win. We talk about it among ourselves, We know they don’t like us and we will leave everything on the field always and in this game especially.”
Her comments prompted Basketball Ireland to lodge a formal complaint with competition organisers Fiba Europe.
It said in a statement: “Basketball Ireland is extremely disappointed by these accusations, which are both inflammatory and wholly inaccurate. Basketball Ireland would refute these allegations towards our players in the strongest possible terms and we have raised this matter with Fiba Europe.”
Basketball Ireland previously defended its decision to play Thursday’s game, saying in a statement last month doing so would incur “an effective five-year ban from competing at international level for our senior women’s team”.
It also said it would face a fine of up to €80,000 (£68,000), plus an additional €100,000 (£85,000) if it failed to fulfil a return fixture later this year.
Basketball Ireland chief executive John Feehan told RTE on Wednesday: “I’m pretty sure we’d be hit pretty hard because we did actually ask was there an alternative to playing this game and all the rest of it, and from that perspective there isn’t.”
Feehan said that “money is everything” to an organisation like his, adding: “Not only would we be out of international competition for the next five years but it would probably take us another five years to get back to where we are now, so, in real terms, we’d lose a generation of players.
“What’s happening in Gaza is dreadful, we all acknowledge that. The issue is whether this is going to make a difference to the Israeli government and, quite frankly, we don’t believe this would make a blind bit of difference.
“What it will do is destroy our women’s international game for the next 10 years.”
Irish Sport for Palestine called for Basketball Ireland to boycott the game, and claimed playing it would be “ruinous” for the organisation’s reputation.
“John Feehan claims boycotting the game against Israel would be ‘ruinous’ for Basketball Ireland,” said Irish Sport for Palestine. “Well, Irish Sport for Palestine says not in our name, and that playing with Israel will forever be ‘ruinous’ for his and Basketball Ireland’s reputation. They must commit to boycotting the Israeli match now.”
Fiba Europe said Thursday’s game would be played behind closed doors over security concerns.