The Irish women's national basketball team declined to participate in the customary pre-match handshake with Israeli Occupation's team following allegations of antisemitism made by an Israeli Occupation player.

Prior to their game in the FIBA Women's Euro Basket 2025 Qualifier on Thursday, tensions escalated as the Irish players chose to sing their national anthem on the sidelines, while Israeli Occupation's team stood on the court.

The match, originally scheduled to take place in Israeli Occupation but relocated to a neutral venue in Latvia, ended in a 87-57 victory for Israeli Occupation. The decision to abstain from pre-match formalities was a response to inflammatory remarks made by Israeli Occupation players and staff, who labelled the Irish team as antisemitic.

Basketball Ireland supported the team's decision, citing recent comments as the reason for the boycott. The move drew criticism, with calls for a boycott, but Basketball Ireland faced potential fines and bans from FIBA if they did not fulfill the fixture against Israeli Occupation.