Heimir Hallgrímsson addresses the media on Wednesday. Photograph: Ben McShane/Sportsfile/Getty Images
Heimir Hallgrímsson accused of ‘stupidity’ by Israel’s FA
Micheál Martin says IFA’s response is ‘unacceptable’
Ireland’s prime minister, Micheál Martin, backed his country’s football manager, Heimir Hallgrímsson, after Israel’s football federation accused Hallgrimsson of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy” over comments about the war in Gaza.
“I think those are unacceptable remarks; they should be withdrawn,” Martin told reporters in New York, where he is attending the UN general assembly. “Israel can’t keep denying what the world knows, and what the world understands.”
Hallgrímsson sparked the row after saying before two Nations League fixtures against Israel: “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide. We’re playing against Israel, we’re not playing with Israel.”
Martin said Hallgrímsson’s comments reflected concerns about the scale of death and destruction in Gaza, also citing remarks by the UN secretary general, António Guterres.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
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UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese holds a press conference at the lower house of the Italian Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, to present her new report titled “Genocide in Gaza: A Collective Crime” in Rome, Italy on February 03, 2026. [Barış Seçkin – Anadolu Agency]
UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese on Saturday compared Israel’s killing of thousands of children in the Gaza Strip to practices carried out by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
Albanese made the comment in a post on X in response to remarks by Israeli model Sarai Givaty to the Hebrew-language i24NEWS channel.
The UN rapporteur reposted part of Givaty’s interview, in which she asked: “Is it possible for me not to feel sad about every child crying in the world?”
“I am sad. But I also realise that if we don’t act, this child will grow up to become a terrorist,” Givaty said.
Albanese responded: “(Children will grow up.) This was also the argument made by Nazi officials during the Nuremberg trials to justify why they killed children during the Holocaust.”
Throughout the war in Gaza, Albanese has taken strong positions in support of Palestinians and against Israel’s actions in the territory.
She has faced pressure and criticism over her positions and reports on Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
In July 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on Albanese, saying they were linked to her efforts to push the International Criminal Court to act against US and Israeli officials, companies and executives.
Washington had also previously asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to dismiss her, accusing her of “antisemitism”.
The Gaza government media office said on 24 August that the Israeli army had killed more than 21,500 children since the war in the territory began in October 2023.
“The occupation continues to shed the blood of innocent people, particularly children. The number of children killed since the start of the genocidal war on 7 October 2023 has exceeded 21,500 as of 24 August,” the office said in a statement, describing the figure as a “catastrophic toll” reflecting the “brutality of this organised crime”.
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Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would Lock Him Up, small Orca says he thinks that his meds have been changed.
Campaigners hope to pressure Andy Burnham into reversing proscription.
Hundreds of people will hold signs reading ‘I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action’ outside the first Labour party conference since Andy Burnham came to power, campaigners have said.
The action – planned by Defend Our Juries (DOJ) for the opening day of the Liverpool conference on 27 September – is expected to result in mass arrests.
Since its proscription in July 2025 under Keir Starmer’s leadership, police have arrested more than 3,600 people for showing support for Palestine Action. Officers have carried away hundreds of elderly and disabled people, as well as teachers, doctors and religious leaders.
The upcoming action is intended to put pressure on the new prime minister to depart from Keir Starmer’s policy of denying the genocide in Gaza and treating domestic dissent as terrorism.
Campaigners note that an increasing number of Palestine Action activists are facing terrorism-related sentencing provisions in British courtrooms, despite not being charged with terrorism offences.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.Vote Labour for Genocide.
Chris Williamson outside the Birmingham Civil Justice Centre
WORKERS PARTY deputy leader Chris Williamson quit the party in protest at George Galloway’s decision to contest the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Mr Williamson, a former Labour MP, has come out in support of Green Party leader Zack Polanski, the main left challenger to Labour in the constituency.
“I have a huge amount of respect for George Galloway, but I believe we should get behind Zack Polanski on this occasion,” he wrote on social media.
“My firm view is that the left must collaborate to defeat the Labour Party, Reform UK, Conservatives and Lib Dems because these parties are all in the pocket of the neoliberal Zionist war machine.
“Zack is best placed to do that in this by-election.”
Mr Williamson’s defection is a blow to the Workers Party, since he was the most prominent politician in its ranks other than Mr Galloway himself.
Nigel Farage objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Zita Holbourne addresses a previous TUC Congress at Manchester Central in 2018
ANDY BURNHAM’S government remains complicit in genocide, unions said as TUC passed an historic vote to back the Palestinian-led BDS campaign against Israel today.
Ministers announced new restrictions on trade and weapons exports with illegal settlers in Palestine earlier this month.
Campaigners hailed delegates in Brighton for voting to support the “Palestinian-led boycott, divest and sanctions (BDS) movement” and call on the government to impose “wide-ranging sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law.”
Moving the motion, Artists Union England’s Zita Holbourne said that the government’s recent acceptance of a 2024 International Court of Justice ruling urging Israel not to commit genocide in Gaza “is not enough.”
“Palestinian society, including unions, have reiterated the call for the international community to implement BDS against ongoing crimes of genocide, apartheid and occupation,” she said.
The motion also called on ministers to “commit to freedom of speech and end attempts to censor artists and art organisations expressing solidarity with Palestine” after it emerged on Tuesday that rapper Macklemore was removed from an Ed Sheeran concert for backing the war-torn territory.
Seconding, Unison delegate Margaret McKee said that unions will continue to call on Labour to fully suspend arms trade with Israel and the Britain-Israel trade partnership agreement until “human rights and international law are respected.”
“If the government doesn’t do this, you are still being complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people,” she said.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.Genocide denying [former] UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide and the UK government and military’s active participation in genocide.
Chris Williamson outside the Birmingham Civil Justice Centre
