Protests and fiery comments as Ireland and Israel prepare for soccer doubleheader

Tensions are high ahead of an international soccer doubleheader between Ireland and Israel, with both nations using inflammatory language about their opponents amid protests in Dublin urging a boycott of the matches. The games taking place on Sunday and Oct. 4 — both on neutral territory — are going ahead following a request by the Football Association of Ireland that UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, suspend the Israel Football Association in protest of Israel’s military action in Gaza. It was rejected by UEFA. Campaigners stepped up their attempts to get the Ireland team to not play the first match between the teams in Hungary, with a group gathering outside the team’s hotel in Dublin on Monday evening.