Podcast / Edge of Sports / Mar 4, 2024

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
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
byDave Zirin / The Nation

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/

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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
Edge of Sports

Where sports and politics collide, hosted by Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin

YOUR NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
byDave Zirin / The Nation

This week, we are joined by savant Arya Shirazi. We talk about the upcoming NBA season, specifically the Western Conference. Are the Thunder going to level up? Has the Denver Nuggets’ title window passed? What are we to make of this year’s Lakers? You won’t want to miss this one.

Zirin, Your NBA Eastern Conference Preview

https://www.thenation.com/podcast/archive/eos-102124-nba/

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

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Dave Zirin

Dave Zirin is the sports editor at The Nation. He is the author of 11 books on the politics of sports. He is also the coproducer and writer of the new documentary Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL.

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