Israel FA accuses Hallgrimsson of 'ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity'

The Israel FA has accused Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson of "ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity" in comments made last week.

During his squad announcement for the upcoming Nations League games which include two fixtures against Israel on 27 September and 4 October, Hallgrimsson said: "We're not playing with genocide, we're playing against genocide. We're playing against Israel, we're not playing with Israel," when the subject of keeping his players focused on the games was raised.

On Monday, Israel's football body hit back on those comments on social media, saying: "We have contributed to the world and humanity in countless fields, earning an impressive number of Nobel Prizes along the way.

"Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach. We're not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we're playing against the coach who embodies them."

The Football Association of Ireland has not responded to the Israel FA's comments, with a protest also taking place at the Republic of Ireland team's hotel on Monday evening as pressure to boycott the fixtures continues to build.

The armed Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza. The United Nations believes the retaliation has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians.

Israel has regularly denied committing genocide or war crimes and has said its actions in Gaza have been justified as a means of self-defence.

More than 160 Irish sportspeople have signed an open letter by the Irish Sport for Palestine Group to urge a boycott of the games against Israel.