O'Shea says Ireland squad will collectively decide whether to shake hands with Israel players

Republic of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea has confirmed the squad will hold a group discussion on Friday to decide whether to shake hands with Israel players before their UEFA Nations League meeting in Hungary on September 27.

O’Shea made the comments at a press conference alongside manager Heimir Hallgrimsson on Wednesday, with Ireland preparing for a Nations League trip to Kosovo on Thursday before the first of two fixtures against Israel.

“We spoke already at the start of the week that we are going to come together on Friday and discuss this as a group,” O’Shea said. “Tomorrow we have a game to focus on. Once the game is over and Friday comes, we are all going to come together as one and discuss it.”

The matches have been the subject of significant public debate in Ireland, with pressure on the Football Association of Ireland to boycott fixtures against Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The FAI voted earlier this summer to proceed with the games — scheduled for September 27 and October 4 — citing concerns that a boycott could damage the association.

Hallgrimsson addressed the political dimension directly during his squad announcement last week. “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, we’re not playing with Israel,” the Ireland manager said when asked how he intended to keep his players focused on football rather than the political context surrounding the ties.

Ireland face Kosovo on Thursday before the squad reconvenes to make their collective decision on the handshake question ahead of Sunday’s match.