Republic of Ireland bow heads during Israel anthem before snubbing handshakes

Republic of Ireland players bowed their heads during Israel’s national anthem before Sunday’s Nations League meeting in Debrecen, Hungary, before the teams also skipped the customary pre-match handshakes. According to GiveMeSport, Ireland captain Dara O’Shea also reportedly declined to shake hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon during the coin toss.

The gesture came after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad, citing his personal belief that the killing of innocent people was wrong. The rest of the Irish squad voted to play the fixture, with FAI chief executive David Courell saying a significant majority supported the decision. The match was played behind closed doors.