An Irish Athlete on Organizing a Sports Boycott of Israel
On this episode of Edge of Sports, Rebecca O’Keeffe talks about her team’s boycott of its match against Israel.
Edge of Sports
Where sports and politics collide, hosted by Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin
Irish athlete activist on organizing a sports boycott of Israel
Rebecca O'Keeffe helped spark an international firestorm within the world of sports when she called on the Irish women’s basketball team to boycott its Feb. 8 match against Israel. While O'Keeffe's calls for a boycott ultimately went unheeded, her actions have provoked serious debate within Ireland and internationally on the responsibility of athletes to stand up against genocide.
O'Keeffe joins Edge of Sports host Dave Zirin for an exclusive interview on why she took a stand, how the sports world responded, and why she refuses to back down.
Zirin, “The First Athletes to Speak Out Are the Bravest”
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/athletes-ceasefire-sports/
—
http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/ | http://twitter.com/EdgeOfSportsPod | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: [email protected] | Edge of Sports hotline: 401-426-3343 (EDGE)
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Ireland team stand by their bench as the Israel team stand on the court as the teams stand for their national anthems before the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Championship Qualifier match between Israel and Ireland at the Rimi Olympic Centre in Riga, Latvia.
(Oksana Dzadan / Sportsfile via Getty Images)Rebecca O’Keeffe helped spark an international firestorm within the world of sports when she called on the Ireland women’s national basketball team to boycott its February 8 match against Israel. While O’Keeffe’s calls for a boycott ultimately went unheeded, her actions have provoked serious debate within Ireland and internationally on the responsibility of athletes to stand up against genocide.
O’Keeffe joins Edge of Sports for an exclusive interview on why she took a stand, how the sports world responded, and why she refuses to back down.
Edge of Sports
Where sports and politics collide, hosted by Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin
The Atlanta Braves or the Atlanta Bravest? Also, the March for Mumia
This week, we speak to Chris Buccafusco about his organization, Atlanta Bravest, and what they are doing to combat indigenous mascoting. Also, sound from the March for Mumia onto the grounds of his prison, which took on the issue not only of Mumia’s incarceration but also of elder and medical abuse inside our prisons.
Zirin,“This Is Historic”: FIFA and UEFA Presidents Are Accused of Aiding Israel’s War Crimes
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/fifa-uefa-war-crimes-israel/
—
http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/ | http://twitter.com/EdgeOfSportsPod | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: [email protected] | Edge of Sports hotline: 401-426-3343 (EDGE)
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Search Results placeholder
Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts
Time is running out to have your gift matched
In this time of unrelenting, often unprecedented cruelty and lawlessness, I’m grateful for Nation readers like you.
So many of you have taken to the streets, organized in your neighborhood and with your union, and showed up at the ballot box to vote for progressive candidates. You’re proving that it is possible—to paraphrase the legendary Patti Smith—to redeem the work of the fools running our government.
And as we head into 2026, I promise that The Nation will fight like never before for justice, humanity, and dignity in these United States.
At a time when most news organizations are either cutting budgets or cozying up to Trump by bringing in right-wing propagandists, The Nation’s writers, editors, copy editors, fact-checkers, and illustrators confront head-on the administration’s deadly abuses of power, blatant corruption, and deconstruction of both government and civil society.
We couldn’t do this crucial work without you.
Through the end of the year, a generous donor is matching all donations to The Nation’s independent journalism up to $75,000. But the end of the year is now only days away.
Time is running out to have your gift doubled. Don’t wait—donate now to ensure that our newsroom has the full $150,000 to start the new year.
Another world really is possible. Together, we can and will win it!
Love and Solidarity,
John Nichols
Executive Editor, The Nation
