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Ireland's football governing body has given the green light to submit a formal motion to European football's governing body, demanding the exclusion of Israeli football from continental club and international competitions.

Grounds for the Recommended Ban

This motion, which was proposed by Dublin club Bohemians, highlighted claimed breaches by the Israel Football Association of a couple of important Uefa statutes.

• Failure to apply and uphold an effective anti-racism policy.
• Organisation of clubs in occupied Palestinian territories lacking the consent of the Palestrian FA.

Vote Outcome and Next Steps

As stated in an official statement from the FAI, the proposal was backed by 74 votes, with seven opposed and two not voting.

They plans to officially present this motion to the UEFA's decision-making body, asking for the immediate suspension of the IFA from European tournaments.

During a special assembly of the FAI, an ordinary resolution was put to members. It passed by a majority.

Previous European Deliberations

Uefa had earlier put on hold plans to ban Israel at the end of September, following the revealing of Donald Trump's proposed peace plan for the region.

While Uefa never officially confirmed contemplating an extraordinary meeting on the matter, preparations were understood to be well developed.

International Backdrop

The FAI move comes after similar calls in last autumn from the leaders of Turkish and Norwegian football associations for banning Israel from international competition.

These appeals were made after United Nations experts asked world and European football bodies to ban Israel, referencing a UN commission of inquiry report that claimed the country of committing genocide during the Gaza conflict.

Israel has rejected these claims and described the findings as scandalous.

Possible Ramifications

If Uefa choose to suspend Israel, it would likely create tension with the US administration – joint hosts for the upcoming World Cup – which is firmly against such an measure.

Although the European body has the authority to exclude Israel or its clubs from its tournaments, it may not be able to stop them from competing in qualification for the World Cup, which falls under Fifa.