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Ireland's football governing body has voted in favor to present a official proposal to Uefa, calling for the exclusion of Israel from continental club and international tournaments.

Basis of the Proposed Suspension

This motion, that had been proposed by Irish side Bohemians, cited claimed violations by the Israel Football Association of a couple of key Uefa statutes.

• Failure to implement and enforce an proper anti-racism policy.
• Establishment of football teams in occupied Palestinian territories lacking the approval of the Palestinian Football Association.

Ballot Results and Next Steps

As stated in an official statement from the Irish FA, the resolution was backed by 74 votes, with 7 opposed and two abstentions.

The association plans to officially present this motion to the Uefa executive committee, seeking the immediate suspension of the Israel Football Association from European tournaments.

In an extraordinary general meeting of the FAI, an ordinary resolution was posed to delegates. It was approved by a majority.

Previous European Considerations

Uefa had previously paused intentions to exclude Israeli football at the close of last month, following the announcement of a US peace proposal for the area.

Although Uefa never officially confirmed contemplating an extraordinary meeting on the issue, preparations were understood to be well developed.

Global Backdrop

This Irish resolution follows comparable calls in last autumn from the leaders of Turkish and Norwegian governing bodies for Israel's suspension from global football.

Those requests were made after United Nations experts urged Fifa and Uefa to ban Israel, referencing a UN investigation that accused the country of committing genocide during the Gaza conflict.

Israel has denied these claims and labeled the report as scandalous.

Possible Consequences

Should Uefa decide to suspend the IFA, it would probably create tension with the US administration – co-hosts for the upcoming World Cup – which is firmly against such an measure.

Even though Uefa has the authority to suspend Israel or its clubs from its tournaments, it may not be able to stop them from competing in World Cup qualifiers, which is governed by Fifa.