Ireland women's basketball team refuse to shake hands with Israel before their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga.
In an interview on the Israeli Basketball Association's website, Israeli player Dor Saar said before the game: "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 love us and we will leave everything on the field always and in this game especially."
Basketball Ireland's statement prior to the start of the game read: "Basketball Ireland informed Fiba Europe yesterday that as a direct result of recent comments made by Israeli players and coaching staff - including inflammatory and wholly inaccurate accusations of anti-Semitism, published on official Israeli Federation channels - that our players will not be partaking in traditional pre-match arrangements with our upcoming opponents.
That may be more right than you think since Putin had long had a stance of 'get the fuck out of my country if you don't like me' and Israel was and important destination for those who complied.
You're doing it right now too! Antisemitism is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews not Israelis. The reason why these players did not want to shake hands with the Israeli team is not because they are Jews, but because they are Israeli. Yes they are refusing to shake hands with them because they are from Israel but its not because they are Jewish. It's because their country (Israel) is comiting genocide. They would not shake hands with any country that does this
The same behaviour was shown towards Russian athletes with regards to the invasion of Ukraine. Judging by your logic that would be, idk, anti-orthodox? Russophobic?
It's symbolic and has nothing to do with the their opinion of the people they are competing against.
It's not antisemitism, plain and simple.
In addition to what Squizzy said, Israel has conscription, so there's a very good chance these athletes are / were members of the IDF. So it is entirely possible that they did engage in atrocities against Palestinians.
Why did modern Germany engage in restitution after the war if the Nazi regime was finished the people did not support the actions of the government or in more recent cases, were not alive for the actions that part of their taxes go toward making up for?
It is inerrant to sport to be political. People are competing in teams based on political borders. Issues won't disappear because it's sport. It's socially here and teams take these with them.
then dont compete against israel, but going and not shaking hands but still promoting (in a way) the israely team just feels wrong. its like going to qatar to play but wearing a rainbow flag, its virtue signaling nothing more.
We have to show that we're better than them and win.
I will edit comment, because it was poor taste and inappropriate, thus the responses
But still, this sounds at least the way Soviet sports teams were supposed to always be the best to prove a point of Soviets being best in everything. That's not how things work, you don't prove your point by beating someone, in sport or otherwise.
I don't agree with the other reply calling you an antisemite but that is still a huge stretch just to compare people to nazis. Have you never played a sport before
how am I supposed to understand this, what is the context here?
An Israeli player said "It's known that they are quite anti-semitic" and the entire irish team felt so offended by that that they decided not to shake the hands of the israeli team? To show them how unfounded the allegations are?
What are the details here? the article doesn't really say much
You too, seem to misunderstand the same thing that the Israeli team misunderstood. Sweden Ireland does not like what Israel is doing to the Palestinians. Sweden Ireland has nothing against Jews but does not like Israel's genocide on Palestine. There is a difference between the country and the religion and antisemitism is used for the religion alone.
It's like if you argue that you're getting downvoted because of antisemitism when you're actually being downvoted because you are wrong. It has nothing to do with religion
that's what's odd about it. The article says the reason the team didn't shake hands was because of 'wholly inaccurate accusations of antisemitism'. So does that mean they would have shaken hands if one of the israeli team members had not made that accusation? Or were they just looking for a reason? This is what seems odd to me.
If we imagine Ireland playing against an african nation that is also torn by war and conflict. If one of their team members accused the irish team of racism, and as a consequence, the entire irish team refuses to shake hands with the African team because they are so offended by these accusations. That would be really weird. That's why I asked for more context.
There is a difference between the country and the religion and antisemitism is used for the religion alone.
That is incorrect. Anti-Judaism is the (much older) component of antisemitism that is used for religion alone.
While it is wrong to say that any criticism against israel is antisemitic, it is equally wrong to say that criticizing Israel is never antisemitic. in some cases it is. Sadly many people refuse to have this discussion. Israel exists because of antisemitism, not the other way around.
Ireland women's basketball team refused to shake hands with Israel before their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga.
Basketball Ireland said the comments were "inflammatory and wholly inaccurate".Ireland players also lined up for their anthem beside the team's bench rather than the centre of the court before the game, which Israel won 87-57.
The match, which was moved to Riga because of the ongoing war in Gaza, went ahead despite Basketball Ireland facing pressure to boycott the fixture.
Basketball Ireland's statement prior to the start of the game read: "Basketball Ireland informed Fiba Europe yesterday that as a direct result of recent comments made by Israeli players and coaching staff - including inflammatory and wholly inaccurate accusations of anti-Semitism, published on official Israeli Federation channels - that our players will not be partaking in traditional pre-match arrangements with our upcoming opponents.
"This includes exchanging of gifts, formal handshakes before or after the game, while our players will line up for the Irish national anthem by our bench rather than centre court.
"In an interview on the Israeli Basketball Association's website, United States-based student Saar said: "It's known that they are quite anti-semitic and it's no secret, and maybe that's why a strong game is expected.
The original article contains 420 words, the summary contains 204 words. Saved 51%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
No, its the irish team refusing to shake the hand of the israely team, not the whole country, this headline is misleading.
Also, wtf is the basketball team of israel supposed to do if their political leaders go ham? i dont get it.
Thanks for clarifying. The headline led me to believe that the team refused to shake hands with the entire nation of Israel, as is known to be the traditional pre-match arrangements of any game.
I don't get your points. The headline refers to the Irish team rather than the whole country as you appear to claim, and the Irish team members refused to shake hands after the remarks by an Israeli player which has nothing to do with their political leaders. Maybe I get this wrong but I don't understand your comment.
Also, wtf is the basketball team of israel supposed to do if their political leaders go ham?
If they don't agree with the current politics of their country? At the very least be very outspoken about it or just don't play at all under their flag. If you play for a national team in an international competition between nations, then of course you do represent the country. And that representation of course also includes current actions which many find at least very concerning.
Or you can just label anyone who criticises Israel as anti-semitic. That's after all what the right wing extremists of Israel do constantly to shit blame away from their disgusting actions.