Green councilor seeks to ban Israeli team ahead of Scotland game

Holly Bruce, a Scottish Green Party representative for Langside in Glasgow, has submitted a motion to Glasgow City Council calling on the administration to take action ahead of the game, which is due to take place later this month.

Since Russia was barred from participating in several major global tournaments after its invasion of Ukraine, the city council says Israel must face the same consequences for “collective punishment” of Gaza.

The Israel and Scotland teams meet at Hampden Park on Friday 31st May.

In a motion due to be debated at Glasgow City Chambers this Thursday, Bruce (below) referred to the government’s emergency motion calling for a ceasefire. This motion condemned both the acts of terrorism committed by Hamas in Israel and the bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military.

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The new motion seeks to reaffirm the Council’s solidarity with “all victims, their families and communities of the ongoing siege of Gaza and the associated violence.”

Concerns are also expressed that hosting Israel at Hampden Park during the conflict “would not be consistent with Government and Council demands for a ceasefire”.

“The Council commends the work of the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee in its “Show the Red Card to Israeli Genocide” campaign, which has highlighted the gross injustices faced by Palestinians in football and calls on sports federations to take action,” it said it further.

Bruce’s motion then calls on council leader Susan Aitken (above) to write to FIFA and UEFA demanding that Israel be banned from the qualifiers.

“The council demands that the council leader also write to the Scottish Football Association, Hampden Park and Greater Glasgow Police seeking assurances that Glaswegians who wish to protest on May 31st will be treated fairly and proportionately and that spectators and footballers, those on May 31 can do so peacefully,” it continues.

Glasgow City Council has been contacted for comment.

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The meeting comes after Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Grand Final this week sparked boycotts.

Israel’s competitor Eden Golan performed her song Hurricane in the final, reworked from an earlier track called October Rain. It was believed to be a reference to the Hamas attacks on Israel that sparked the attack on Gaza, which has now killed around 35,000 people.

Golan faced loud jeers and boos from the audience, with people also chanting “Free Palestine.”

She came in fifth place after receiving a viewer rating of 323 points, including 12 points from the public vote in the United Kingdom.