Ahead of a controversial EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga, the Ireland women's basketball team faced accusations of anti-Semitism for refusing to shake hands with the Israeli team, a decision made in protest against Israeli military actions in Gaza and inflammatory comments by Israeli players and staff. The Irish players, who have been described as being put in an awful position, also chose not to stand in front of the Israeli team during the introduction of players. The game, which was moved to a neutral venue after Ireland's refusal to host, concluded with Israel's victory over Ireland, 87-57. The match was marred by political issues, overshadowing the sportsmanship of the event.
#Watch: The Irish girls basketball team declines to shake hands with the Israeli team or line up with them at center court for the national anthems, protesting what they say as the 'genocide' in Gaza. The Irish lost the game to the Israelis. https://t.co/46nxmHVHJL
BREAKING: โก ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ Ireland women's basketball team refused to shake hands with Israel before their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga. https://t.co/BDF18qvsMS https://t.co/2aJ7XnYXzm https://t.co/qjktZTTB7g
Israeli women's basketball team beat Ireland in the first game of the 2025 Women's EuroBasket qualifier, a game in which sport was overshadowed by politics when the Irish team refused to shake hands with their Israeli counterparts. @StarrJpost reports. https://t.co/ooFppv1Hsr
Ireland suffer 30-point defeat to Israel in controversial basketball qualifier https://t.co/eVXivuhyWt
Ireland women's basketball team refuse to shake hands with Israel before its EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga. Israel player Dor Saar said on Wednesday that the Ireland team is "quite anti-Semitic". https://t.co/Kws2rvyThh
Bravo, Israeli women. For shame, Ireland. https://t.co/zwz2IykkC5
In solidarity with Hamas, the Irish were pounded by Israel. https://t.co/vzePOJXAj8 https://t.co/REpnaPvqet
Ireland women's basketball team refuse to shake hands with Israel https://t.co/4F4B4HsflM
In solidarity with Hamas, the Irish team also lost to Israel. https://t.co/9JzmWPJgNx
๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑโผ๏ธ๐จ BREAKING: Ireland women's basketball team refused to shake hands with Israel before their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga. Israel player Dor Sa'ar said on Wednesday that the Ireland team is "quite anti-Semitic". https://t.co/9wwj4YVppR
The Israel-Ireland Qualifiers for the European Championship ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ช โข How it Started: The Irish players disrespected themselves and refused to shake hands with the Israeli players at the beginning of the match. โข How it's Going: The Israeli female team won 87:57 over the Irishโฆ https://t.co/SmjH1W64qs
Irelandโs national women basketball team shamefully refused to shake the hands of the Israeli teamโs players before an official game. Israel kicked their butts 87-57. Go shake on that.
#BREAKING: In an extraordinary display of poor sportsmanship and antisemitism, Irelandโs womenโs basketball team refused to shake the hands of Israelโs team and lost by 30 points. Where I come from, we call this being sore losers. ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ https://t.co/3XCmsRXoQT
The Irish basketball team declined to shake hands with the Israeli team or join them at center court for the national anthems in protest against the Israeli crimes in Gaza and the inflammatory comments made by Israeli players and staff about the Irish players. https://t.co/aARJ8Sjh8U
Final score: ๐ฎ๐ฑ Israel 87 ๐ฎ๐ช Ireland 57 https://t.co/dy1YSM6STl https://t.co/6ZZAExar5Q
More disgraceful antisemitism from Ireland! This time in women's basketball at a EuroBasket qualifier. Ireland's women's basketball team refused to shake hands with the Israeli players. The game was moved to a neutral venue after Ireland refused to host the Israeli team. https://t.co/dGbjjcBLmR
Irish Basketball players have been put in an awful position. FIBA & Basketball Ireland must do the right thing and call the game off. Israeli players posing with machine guns is deplorable. Anti-Genocide is not the same as antisemitism https://t.co/3aEcOUeoF9
๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ The players of the Irish basketball team announced that they will not shake hands with the Israeli players and will even avoid standing in front of them at the start of the game tonight. https://t.co/WSioUFx2en
NEW: โก ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ The players of the Irish basketball team announced that they will not shake hands with the Israeli players and will even avoid standing in front of them at the start of the game tonight. https://t.co/BDF18qvsMS https://t.co/qMG8Npu8bf
Ireland's women's national team in Eurobasket 2025 informed the Israeli national team that they would not stand in front of them during the introduction of players, according to the Israeli Basketball Association (IBA). https://t.co/ooFppv1Hsr
Israeli player alleges Irish team are 'anti-Semitic' ahead of controversial basketball qualifier https://t.co/EchbQi6t41