A WEST Belfast-based Republic of Ireland supporters' club has donated almost €3,000 to Palestine Aid charity.
It comes after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) refunded Irish fans for their 'home' game against Israel in the upcoming Nations League.
In June the FAI confirmed that Ireland's home game against Israel would not be played in Dublin and would instead take place behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia on October 4. The away fixture against the Israelis takes place before this on September 27 at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary.
The FAI had refused strong calls from fans to refuse to play the two games against Israel in protest over the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Na Glinntí Glasa Ireland Supporters' Club have been attending Ireland games since 1994 and currently hold 65 season tickets at the Aviva Stadium. Due a refund from the FAI, the club have decided to donate the money, a total of €2,925, to Palestine Aid.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News, Brian McFaul from Na Glinntí Glasa ISC explained: "Our Committee approached the membership in April this year seeking guidance on how they would like to approach the upcoming games against Israel and were met with overwhelming numbers in favour of a blanket boycott.
"The club have been enthusiastic supporters of the #stopthegame campaign and participated in the tennis ball protest at the Qatar game in May.
"Despite FAI’s decision to move the Israel home game to Serbia, our members remain firmly of the opinion, in common with 75.6 per cent of fans who participated in a recent survey, that Ireland should not play Israel at all.
"As fans, members were happy to accept the forfeiture of six points and the likely relegation to Tier C of the Nations League as a consequence of Ireland refusing to play the games.
"Following its decision not to play the Israel home game in Dublin, the FAI wrote to all season ticket holders giving them the choice of either a cash refund or an account credit equivalent to 20 per cent of the cost of their season ticket.
"We had already taken a decision to boycott the game which was based entirely on the principles at stake here and our boycott was always going to mean that we would lose out on whatever value the season tickets we had already bought for that game may have had.
"The Committee went back to the membership upon learning about the FAI refund in the offing and once again we encountered overwhelming support for our proposal to donate the full amount to a Palestinian related charity and we selected the locally based Palestinian Aid Ireland to be the beneficiaries.
"We as a club feel quite good about having made a decision which whilst impacting on us financially, is based on entirely the humanitarian principles involved and flies in the face of the big decision by FAI which was primarily financially motivated and failed to take any account of the continued suffering of the Palestinian people."
Fra Hughes from Palestine Aid Ireland commended Na Glinntí Glasa for their gesture.
"We are donating the money to a project in the West Bank who provide a school uniform and other essentials to children there," he said.
"This money will help these children be as best prepared for education as they can be all whilst living under occupation and continued threat to their life from the Israeli apartheid state.
"I would personally like to thank the club and all the members not only for the donation but for standing up for Palestine and #stopthegame campaign which we fully support."
