TEL AVIV - Don't Hold your breath

**keenanboy** · 02/11/2004, 4:26 PM

Just a bit of a advice following recent suicide bomb attacks in Tel Aviv...that game could very well be still moved...I wouldn't part with any hard-earned cash until the last minute...and if you still want to pump money into the economy of of the ZOP, I hope you can sleep at night.

**Cowboy** · 02/11/2004, 10:05 PM

was it really necessary to start a new thread, there is already a sticky for this trip and i dont recall anyone asking for your advice

Originally Posted by keenanboy

Just a bit of a advice following recent suicide bomb attacks in Tel Aviv...that game could very well be still moved...I wouldn't part with any hard-earned cash until the last minute...and if you still want to pump money into the economy of of the ZOP, I hope you can sleep at night.

**Éanna** · 02/11/2004, 10:30 PM

I'm with ya on that one keenanboy. going to the game is as good as supporting murder in my book.

**Peadar** · 03/11/2004, 7:46 AM

Originally Posted by Éanna

going to the game is as good as supporting murder in my book.

Éanna you could argue that going to a Rovers game is supporting holiganism and probably have a stronger case.
It's best to try and keep politics out of football.

**Colm** · 03/11/2004, 8:53 AM

Originally Posted by Éanna

going to the game is as good as supporting murder in my book.

No, by going to the game the only thing you'll be supporting is the Irish football team.

That said I think it's too risky. I'd say I'll avoid that one and hopefully go to one or both of the Cyprus and Faroes games.

**NY Hoop** · 03/11/2004, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Éanna you could argue that going to a Rovers game is supporting holiganism and probably have a stronger case.
It's best to try and keep politics out of football.

Or you could argue that going to a cork game is supporting traitors and olympic cheats

Moron......

KOH

**WeAreRovers** · 03/11/2004, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Éanna you could argue that going to a Rovers game is supporting holiganism and probably have a stronger case.
It's best to try and keep politics out of football.

Equating us with the murderous Israeli scum. Nice one. Tósser.

KOH

**Cowboy** · 03/11/2004, 1:13 PM

Originally Posted by Éanna

I'm with ya on that one keenanboy. going to the game is as good as supporting murder in my book.

so are you saying that we let others dictate to us whether we support our team or not ? Are you really saying that the team is supporting murderers by taking part in the game? I think your arguement is seriously flawed and honestly is such a topic really suitable for a football forum?

**resovoirdub** · 03/11/2004, 1:41 PM

Well said Cowboy. I might go to Isreal...then again I might not?

Whatever my decision...it will be for footballing reasons and the support of the 11 boys in green that walk out on the park....and nothing else!!! Especially politics.

**lopez** · 03/11/2004, 2:46 PM

Just been reading a Lonely Plant guide about Taiwan and I was reminded of the nice people currently running the People's

Republic of China. Seems that because the Yanks gave a visa to a Taiwanese official in the nineties those lovely Chinese government folk threatened to nuke LA. Point being made is that nobody would object to playing China even though their human rights record is worse than Israel (Israel at least allows its own favoured ethnic population and Arabs that stuck around when it was partitioned in 1948 to vote in the crack-pots running its country).

When I visited the country 20 years ago, Ireland later embarked on playing two games against the USSR. Again a nasty state if ever there was one, and one in which there was ill-treatment of many of its minorities, including Jews. I can't imagine if the USSR was still around there'd be too many objections.

I'm no fan of the ZOP, but I've visited quite a few other dodgy countries following Ireland. Yugoslavia was the worse and frankly the three points that we were threatened with deduction in 1999 would have been worth it IMO for the stance taken then. But I visited the place the year before, knowing full well what was going on. Then there is Iran. Another place with a gobsh*te government. But I went there aswell even though people can't drink, dance and women are compelled to cover their hair, arms and ankles. Oh and you can't criticise the government. I believe you can do that in the US and Israel.

While I think that people should be allowed to demonstrate against the representatives of this hoodlum state - just as people demonstrated against the Chinese over Tibet - I also think that people have the right to visit wherever they want to. Personally I'd draw the line at pre-nineties South Africa and, of course, anywhere I'd be in danger of coming back in a box.

**Peadar** · 03/11/2004, 4:57 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Or you could argue that going to a cork game is supporting traitors and olympic cheats

Moron......

KOH

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

Equating us with the murderous Israeli scum. Nice one. Tósser.

KOH

Jaysus lads, relax!
I was making a ridiculous point to highlight how ridiculous the point Éanna made was.
You Rovers fans are so touchy!

**1 9 2 8** · 03/11/2004, 5:28 PM

I'd go to the game if it's moved from Tel Aviv to Cyprus. I don't want to help the Israeli economy by spending my money in that murderous state.

**TheJamaicanP.M.** · 03/11/2004, 7:07 PM

Originally Posted by Éanna

I'm with ya on that one keenanboy. going to the game is as good as supporting murder in my book.

Haven't we all become very important in our little Tiger economy. If we picked who we played and where we played them, we would have a very small list of nations to play against. It's not so long ago since this country was experiencing the Troubles. I didn't hear too many nations complaining about playing us. It really p!sses me off how some hypocrits decide to take the moral high ground on issues that they dont understand. In 1999, our shambolic government stopped the Yugoslav football team from entering the country for political reasons. Three months later, the Taoiseach decided that he had the right to walk onto the pitch in Lansdowne and shake hands with the same players he had previously discriminated. As far as Im concerned football and politics shouldn't mix.

I believe any Irish fan who sees fit should go to Tel Aviv to support our national team and be proud to do so.

**Pat O' Banton** · 03/11/2004, 8:46 PM

Like it or not though politics and football do mix. Don't forget that teams refused to visit Belfast during the conlict there - mainly for, what they believed, were reasons reasons of personal safety.

Sport has a massive part to play in the role of politics, how many governments in the past have used it for their own ends - the dictatorship in Argentina infamously (allegedelly) used the'78 World Cup as a way of promoting their country as a successful, happy, peaceful nation, while giving the nation a way of forgetting what a crap time they were having - a sporting version of cultural imperialism. Mussolini, Franco and many others have used sport (and football in particular) as a way of diverting the masses and attempting to legitimising their regime.

I certainly wouldn't go to Isreal as a) I'm a coward and b) I've only just persuaded Mrs O' B to let me go to the Faroes. But even if it were moved to London I would have problems with going due to my political beliefs on Isreal, however I know that I'm a hypocrit because I would go and watch Ireland play, for example China, I'm not actively interested in what they have done - and I know thats a rubbish excuse but thats the way it is.

**ccfcman** · 03/11/2004, 8:50 PM

Originally Posted by Éanna

I'm with ya on that one keenanboy. going to the game is as good as supporting murder in my book.

So by being in a country where attrociteis have/are being commited is like supporting the killing of an innocent human being?

**the 12 th man** · 03/11/2004, 9:10 PM

Originally Posted by Pat O' Banton

I certainly wouldn't go to Isreal as a) I'm a coward .

**Éanna** · 03/11/2004, 10:21 PM

if you go to israel, you spend money in israel and you support the economy of a genocidal regime. south africa were kicked out of international sport for similar offences but because the US supports Israel its ok. it makes me sick, and I repeat, anyone knowingly giving even a cent to the israeli economy is supporting murder and genocide.

**sylvo** · 03/11/2004, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Pat O' Banton

But even if it were moved to London I would have problems with going

Did'nt a few years ago they asked Spurs if it was possible to play games at White Hart Lane before they decided to play them instead in Cyprus.
I can see why you'd have a problem if the games were moved to London due to the fact that you would be so locked proberly in O'Raffertys pre match that walking half a mile down the road to Tottingham or getting a W3 bus would be a major problem for yer.
you would proberly be also leaving yer bag around the place as well like yer normally do causing a security risk also.

**Cowboy** · 03/11/2004, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by Éanna

if you go to israel, you spend money in israel and you support the economy of a genocidal regime. south africa were kicked out of international sport for similar offences but because the US supports Israel its ok. it makes me sick, and I repeat, anyone knowingly giving even a cent to the israeli economy is supporting murder and genocide.

so have you given up jaffa cakes?