Sir, – Paul Williams (Letters, May 11th) asks why Israel should be singled out for boycott by Irish football figures while Ireland has previously played countries with poor human rights records.
Perhaps the reason is that people tend to respond most strongly to atrocities that are current, visible and ongoing. The horrifying destruction in Gaza, including the killing of footballers, is unfolding in real time before the eyes of the world.
Irish people also have a long-standing awareness of and interest in the treatment of the Palestinian people, and many see parallels with aspects of Ireland’s own colonial history. That helps explain why this issue resonates so deeply here in a way some other international conflicts, rightly or wrongly, may not.
There is also a long Irish tradition of supporting sporting boycotts on moral grounds. Campaigns against apartheid South Africa attracted considerable public sympathy and were widely viewed as a legitimate means of applying international pressure.
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Williams is perfectly entitled to organise campaigns against other states whose actions he finds objectionable. But pointing to the wrongs of other countries is not a convincing argument against those now calling for action over Israel’s conduct.
Indeed, your letter writer would be on stronger ground if he questioned the inconsistency in the determination of some to ensure football fixtures against Israel proceed as normal, while at the same time supporting a boycott of this week’s Eurovision Song Contest because of Israel’s participation. – Yours, etc,
SÉAMUS WHITE,
Stoneybatter,
Dublin 7.
