Republic of Ireland Star Jason Knight Pushes for Israel Match Cancellation

Republic of Ireland midfielder Jason Knight has publicly voiced his desire for the national team's World Cup qualifier against Israel to be called off, stating his belief that the game should not proceed. The fixture is set to take place in Debrecen, Hungary, this Sunday at 19:45 BST, with a return leg scheduled for October 4 in Backa Topola, Serbia.

Opposition to these matches has been mounting across Ireland due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. A campaign titled “Stop The Game” is actively advocating for Ireland to withdraw from both encounters. Following Ireland's 1-0 defeat to Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday, Knight became the first player from the Republic of Ireland squad to openly oppose the upcoming fixture, as reported by BBC Sport on Friday.

Knight commented on the situation, saying, “Look, it’s difficult. The manager, and Dara, and Nathan [Collins] spoke well about it. I don’t think the game should be going ahead, but it is going ahead.”

Earlier, Ireland’s captain, Dara O’Shea, had confirmed that the players would convene on Friday to deliberate on their approach to Sunday’s match, which will be played without Irish supporters present. Knight indicated that the team would engage in a thorough discussion about the matter, considering the potential ramifications of any position they might adopt.

“We had chats about it with the players, and more senior players on what the next step will be,” Knight explained. He added, “Now we’re here, we can have a really in-depth talk of what that means and what the consequences are. We’ll do that [on Friday] and go from there.”

The Bristol City midfielder disclosed that he had contemplated the issue prior to joining the national squad, given the widespread public debate in Ireland surrounding the matches. “I think it was a difficult one. It’s obviously big talk in Ireland. I have been focusing on my football in England in the Championship. But I knew this was coming so I had a think about it,” Knight remarked.

He further stated his intention to remain focused on his football while expressing his opinions when he deems it appropriate. “I’ll try and focus on the football as much as I can. I’ll give my view and my thoughts when I see fit, but I’ll be trying to focus on the football as much as possible,” he affirmed.

The controversy surrounding these qualifiers is set against the backdrop of the continuing hostilities in Gaza, which escalated after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities reported approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 individuals taken hostage during that incident. Subsequently, Israel commenced a military operation in Gaza. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has since reported over 73,000 deaths, figures that the United Nations generally considers reliable. The initial Ireland-Israel fixture is slated for Hungary, while the reverse fixture in Serbia is scheduled to proceed behind closed doors.