INTERNACIONAL
Irish PM rejects antisemitism concerns in Ireland amid dramatic vote over boycotting Israel game
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin rejected claims that Ireland’s sharp criticism of Israel has crossed into antisemitism as tensions flared around a politically charged soccer match between the countries Sunday, with Irish players holding a last-minute vote over whether to boycott the game.
Martin, in an exclusive interview with Digital this week in New York, outlined why Ireland has taken such a staunch position against the Israeli government’s conduct of the war in Gaza, calling its military response «absolutely disproportionate» while pressing Israel to «change strategy» and calling for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Martin argued that Ireland’s own history — particularly its experience ending decades of conflict in Northern Ireland — gives the country a role to play as a voice for peace on the international stage, a theme he returned to while discussing Ukraine and the ongoing debate over Irish reunification.
«I think for the vast majority of people it does not,» Martin said when asked directly whether anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland had crossed the line into antisemitism.
«We have no toleration for antisemitism, none,» Martin added.
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The extraordinary player vote came after months of pressure surrounding the UEFA Nations League fixture on Sunday, with more than 160 Irish sports figures calling for a boycott and players themselves publicly questioning whether the match should go ahead.
A «significant majority» of players ultimately voted on Saturday to play the game, while one player left the squad after expressing his wish not to take part.
In the interview, Martin strongly condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack and defended Israel’s right to exist in security.
«First of all, we condemned, absolutely, the outrageous terrorist attack by Hamas in October,» Martin told Digital.
«We believe in a two-state solution,» Martin said. «We believe that Israel, of course, has a right to exist in security and its people need to be guaranteed of security. But likewise, Palestinians should have a right to live in their homeland in a peaceful way.»
«There are many peaceful voices in Palestine that I’ve met who want peaceful coexistence with Israel.»
Martin said Ireland’s strongly pro-Palestinian position was rooted partly in its own history.
«There’s a very strong pro-Palestinian position in Ireland,» Martin said. «Ireland, the Irish government and the Irish people, probably because of our own history, but also because of a sense of right and justice and fairness.»
Thousands have taken to the streets across Ireland since the war began, while national broadcaster RTÉ refused to air this year’s Eurovision Song Contest after Israel’s participation was confirmed.
Ireland spent centuries under British rule before most of the island gained independence a little more than a century ago, while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom.
He said Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 attack had resonated deeply in Ireland and called for increased humanitarian aid into Gaza.
«We want humanitarian aid going into Gaza. There’s not enough humanitarian aid going in,» Martin said, pointing to the conditions facing roughly 2 million people there, including shortages of food and shelter and children without access to education.
Martin said Ireland wanted Israel to reconsider its conduct of the war, asking whether it would «change strategy» and «change its approach to the whole issue.»
«So that’s the background to the Irish position,» he said. «People are angry in terms of what’s going on in the Middle East and that’s the manifestation of it.»
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Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said his players were uncomfortable with the games, declaring: «We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide.» The Israeli Football Association accused him of «stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy,» prompting Martin to call the remarks «unacceptable.»
The FAI previously sought Israel’s suspension from international competition. Separately, Irish soccer officials later voted to fulfill the Israel fixtures after being warned a boycott could cost the association at least $6.3 million and trigger UEFA sanctions.
Sunday’s game will be played in Hungary, while Ireland’s Oct. 4 home fixture has been moved to Serbia and will be played behind closed doors. Irish supporters will not have access to either game.
An organized campaign dubbed #StopTheGame has, meanwhile, spent months pressuring Irish soccer officials and players not to fulfill the Israel fixtures, staging protests and urging the national team to refuse to play.
The campaign has also spilled onto the field. During a friendly against Qatar in May, protesters threw tennis balls bearing «Stop The Game» messages onto the pitch in opposition to the Israel fixtures.
Martin has resisted calls for Ireland to boycott Israel, arguing that unilateral action could be «self-defeating» and may hurt Irish soccer without having any effect on Israel.
The dispute over the games reflects a broader debate over whether Ireland’s criticism of Israel has crossed a line.
The American Jewish Committee raised concerns directly with Martin in Washington in March 2025 about antisemitism and what it called the «vilification of Israel in Ireland.» An Anti-Defamation League official also participated in the meeting. The AJC alleged that antisemitism had become «pervasive» in Ireland.
Martin pointed to Ireland’s annual Holocaust commemorations and the historic contribution of Jewish communities in Dublin, Cork and elsewhere in rejecting the suggestion that antisemitism was broadly tolerated in Ireland. He also pointed to Ireland’s participation in international efforts against antisemitism and said the country campaigns against it globally.
«We cherish that contribution that the Jewish community has made to Ireland,» Martin said.
Martin’s defense of Ireland’s position came before he addressed world leaders at the United Nations on Thursday, where he delivered a sharply critical assessment of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank, declaring that the international community had «failed Palestine.»
«When the full truth of what has happened, what is still happening in Gaza, is finally known, when the evidence is gathered, when the testimonies are heard, when the true horrors are finally and fully revealed, it will shame the world,» he said. «Nobody will be able to say that we did not know.»
Martin accused violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank of acting with «near-total impunity» and said Palestinian communities faced displacement and destruction «amounting to ethnic cleansing.»
He reiterated his support for a two-state solution, saying the only viable outcome was for «a State of Palestine and a State of Israel» to live side by side «in peace, security and dignity.»
During his Digital interview, Martin connected Ireland’s position on the Middle East to its experience ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland, saying «we feel we can make a contribution to that conflict resolution pathway.»
That role has taken on added significance as Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, giving it an elevated diplomatic role at a time of multiple international conflicts.
Martin also pointed to a personal experience that shaped his thinking, recalling meeting Israeli Rami Elhanan and Palestinian Bassam Aramin in Israel, two fathers who each lost a daughter in the conflict and later worked together for peace. Their stories are told in Colum McCann’s novel «Apeirogon.»
«That’s an inspiration to me,» Martin said, adding that he had met both men in Israel. He said their work reflected Ireland’s own efforts to reconcile communities divided by generations of conflict.
Beyond the Middle East, Martin addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying a ceasefire along existing battle lines could provide a starting point for negotiations while rejecting territorial gains by force.
«Ukraine can’t cede territory that Russia hasn’t even conquered, despite four years of war,» Martin said. «From our perspective, no one has the right to go into another country and take its territory.»
Ireland has maintained its military neutrality while providing humanitarian and non-lethal assistance to Ukraine and taking in more than 120,000 Ukrainians since Russia’s invasion. Martin rejected suggestions that such support compromised Ireland’s neutrality, noting that Dublin has not supplied lethal weapons. «We want the war to end,» he said.
Martin’s focus on ending long-running conflicts also extends to Ireland’s own divided island. He and his Fianna Fáil party support reunification with Northern Ireland, but he said greater trust between the two communities must come first.
«I believe in unity and my party believes in unity, but we have to work on it,» Martin said. «We have to build reconciliation amongst the different traditions on the island of Ireland.»
Under the Good Friday Agreement, a referendum would be called if it appeared likely that a majority in Northern Ireland supported reunification — an issue that gained fresh attention when Trump said during his recent visit to the country that he would «love» to see a united Ireland.
Martin also pointed to Ireland’s unique relationship with the United States, crediting Washington with playing a «critical» role in the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s.
Asked whether Washington could play a role again in a future reunification process, he replied: «To a degree maybe, potentially, yeah.»
israel, anti semitism, ireland, politics, geopolitics, ukraine, sports
INTERNACIONAL
Identifican a un cubano detenido tras la intercepción de una lancha con migrantes cerca de Key Largo, Florida
Las autoridades federales de Estados Unidos identificaron a Yunio Pelegrin Luis, ciudadano cubano detenido, como uno de los tres acusados tras la intercepción de una embarcación procedente de Bahamas cerca de North Key Largo, en los Cayos de Florida. El operativo ocurrió el 15 de septiembre y permitió localizar a 23 personas a bordo de una lancha que se dirigía hacia el sur del estado.
Según la denuncia penal citada por El Nuevo Herald y retomada por Periódico Cubano, Pelegrin Luis conducía la embarcación en el trayecto desde Bimini. Junto a él fueron detenidos los ecuatorianos William Ortiz Romero, de 32 años, y Flavio Lema Mayancela, quienes también enfrentan cargos federales por presuntamente transportar o inducir la entrada no autorizada de extranjeros a territorio estadounidense.
La acusación contempla una pena máxima de cinco años de prisión. La eventual responsabilidad penal de los tres hombres deberá ser definida durante el proceso judicial, ya que las autoridades deberán presentar pruebas ante un tribunal federal y los acusados conservan la presunción de inocencia hasta que exista una sentencia.
Un radar detectó la ruta desde Bahamas hacia los Cayos de Florida
La investigación señala que el recorrido de la lancha fue detectado por un sistema de radar de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Palm Beach. A partir de esa alerta, una aeronave de la Oficina de Operaciones Aéreas y Marítimas de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de Estados Unidos, conocida como CBP, siguió la embarcación durante una operación de vigilancia marítima.
La respuesta incluyó la coordinación entre unidades de CBP en Miami y Key Largo, además de efectivos de la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos. La intercepción se produjo cerca de Angelfish Creek y Ocean Reef, donde los agentes localizaron una lancha cabinada de 8,2 metros (27 pies) con 23 ocupantes.
La Guardia Costera abordó la nave y realizó el procedimiento sin que se registraran enfrentamientos, según la información conocida sobre el caso. La embarcación fue confiscada mientras avanza la pesquisa sobre las circunstancias del viaje y la posible participación de los detenidos en el traslado de los pasajeros.
Tres ocupantes fueron acusados y otros 20 regresaron a Bahamas
Entre las personas que viajaban en la lancha había un ciudadano cubano señalado como presunto organizador del traslado, ocho ecuatorianos, 13 ciudadanos chinos y un dominicano. La cantidad de ocupantes y la identificación de quienes enfrentarían cargos generaron diferencias en los informes iniciales, aunque la investigación posterior estableció que tres personas quedarían acusadas y que las demás serían tratadas como migrantes.
La denuncia federal citada por El Nuevo Herald indica que Pelegrin Luis no contaba con permiso para permanecer en Estados Unidos. El documento judicial también sostiene que Ortiz Romero y Lema Mayancela tenían órdenes de expulsión previas, un elemento incluido en el expediente presentado ante la Justicia federal.
Las autoridades señalaron a los tres detenidos como presuntos responsables de transportar o inducir el ingreso no autorizado de extranjeros. Los otros 20 pasajeros fueron considerados migrantes que intentaban llegar a Estados Unidos por vía marítima desde Bahamas, por lo que quedaron sujetos a los procedimientos establecidos tras la intercepción.
Los pasajeros fueron trasladados a dos buques tras el operativo
Después del abordaje, los 23 ocupantes de la lancha fueron llevados al guardacostas Pablo Valent para completar los trámites correspondientes. Los tres acusados quedaron bajo custodia de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) mientras continuaba la investigación federal.
Los otros 20 migrantes fueron trasladados posteriormente al buque Margaret Norvell. La Guardia Costera confirmó que ese grupo fue entregado a las autoridades de Bahamas el 21 de septiembre, luego de las actuaciones realizadas por las agencias estadounidenses involucradas en el operativo.
El caso vuelve a situar la atención sobre las rutas marítimas utilizadas para intentar llegar a Florida desde Bahamas. Las autoridades estadounidenses mantienen operativos de vigilancia aérea y naval con el objetivo de detectar embarcaciones antes de que alcancen la costa, mientras la causa contra los tres detenidos continúa ante la Justicia federal.
INTERNACIONAL
Four American tourists among 6 killed after explosion levels building near Athens’ Acropolis
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Four American tourists were among six people killed in Greece when a devastating explosion leveled a residential building near Athens’ famed Acropolis, according to officials.
The four Americans — two men and two women believed to be two couples — were staying in the two-story building in the historic Plaka district, the historic neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis and close to some of Athens’ most heavily visited landmarks, when the blast struck Friday.
The two couples had been expected to catch a flight from Athens airport at 3 p.m. Friday but never showed up, a police source told Reuters. Documents and belongings recovered with the four victims indicated they were U.S. citizens, according to Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media.
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Firefighters work at the scene following Friday’s powerful blast in Athens’ Plaka district, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle mourned the victims in a post on X.
«I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of four American citizens in yesterday’s explosion in central Athens,» Guilfoyle wrote.
Emergency crews searching through the rubble recovered six bodies from the collapsed building Saturday, authorities said.
Firefighters had been searching for an elderly couple who lived in one apartment and four tourists staying in another as crews painstakingly removed debris, fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said in a televised briefing.
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The explosion was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Authorities were investigating the cause after reports of a gas smell in the area.
Firefighters work at the scene following Friday’s powerful blast in Athens’ Plaka district, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
The powerful blast destroyed the building and damaged nearby homes, shops and vehicles, sending rubble and shattered glass as far as three blocks away, Reuters reported.
Video from the scene showed debris strewn across the street and parked cars crushed beneath falling rubble. The destroyed building was reduced to twisted metal, broken tiles and concrete, with clothing and household belongings scattered among the wreckage.
Rescuers work at the scene following Friday’s powerful blast in Athens’ Plaka district, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
The search-and-rescue operation involved 30 firefighters and three dogs, while crews also used cameras and sensors to comb through the debris.
Two women were injured in an adjacent building on Lysikratous Street, according to the fire department. Resident Andreas Martzaklis told the Associated Press that all those rescued from the neighboring building were tourists.
The damage extended to a nearby church, where the pastor said Sunday services would be held outdoors because the building had been damaged in the explosion.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
europe, disasters us, world
INTERNACIONAL
SCOTUS detention fight could unleash dangerous criminal migrants onto US streets, experts warns
A Supreme Court battle over whether certain noncitizens with criminal records are entitled to bond hearings during lengthy deportation proceedings could become a public safety concern by making it harder for the federal government to keep some detainees behind bars, legal experts warn.
The Trump administration is asking the justices to take up Genalo v. D.C., a case involving a Dominican citizen with four criminal convictions who has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while fighting removal.
The dispute centers on a Second Circuit precedent requiring a bond hearing when mandatory immigration detention becomes «unreasonably prolonged.» At that hearing, the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the detainee poses a flight risk or danger to the community.
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Chad Mizelle, chair of litigation at the America First Policy Institute and a former acting associate attorney general and Justice Department chief of staff, told Digital the implications extend beyond immigration law.
«We are talking about criminal aliens here,» Mizelle said. «Those are individuals who have been accused of or convicted of an aggravated felony. Accused or convicted of murder. Accused or convicted of child rape. Accused or convicted of grievous harm upon another human being.»
«So these are the worst of the worst individuals,» Mizelle continued. «Do we want those individuals walking the streets, re-committing, harming other individuals?»
Mizelle argued Congress imposed mandatory detention on certain noncitizens with criminal records to keep them detained during removal proceedings, while the Second Circuit’s prolonged-detention rule could incentivize some detainees to drag out their cases long enough to seek bond.
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The man at the center of the administration’s latest petition, identified in court papers as D.C., is a 62-year-old Dominican citizen who illegally entered the United States and has four criminal convictions, according to court records.
In 1997, D.C. was charged with multiple drug offenses, including selling and possessing a controlled substance. He failed to appear for trial, was convicted by a jury and sentenced in absentia to three to nine years in prison, but did not serve that sentence until 2024. In 2007, he was charged with possessing a forged instrument after presenting false identification to police and again failed to appear in court.
In 2016, D.C. faced several charges stemming from a domestic dispute, including second-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and acting in a manner to injure a child under 17. He pleaded guilty to criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and also resolved his earlier forged-instrument case with a guilty plea. Later that year, he pleaded guilty to criminal contempt.
D.C. was finally arrested on the outstanding warrant from his 1998 drug conviction in April 2024. After completing his state sentence in September 2025, ICE immediately detained him while his removal proceedings continued.
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The district court subsequently ordered that D.C. receive a bond hearing under binding Second Circuit precedent but denied his separate request for immediate release. The government is now asking the Supreme Court to take the case before the Second Circuit itself rules — an unusual procedure known as certiorari before judgment.
The administration turned to D.C.’s case after two other noncitizens at the center of the same legal fight saw their cases become moot.
One, Carol Williams Black, had been detained for roughly seven months. His case became moot after he received a final order of removal and permanently left the United States. Black was convicted of sexually abusing a child in 2000. The Supreme Court therefore granted review in June only as to the second detainee, G.M.
G.M., a lawful permanent resident from the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in May 2015 after being accused of attacking and robbing a man during a 2012 incident in New York City. He was sentenced to two years in prison and was released early on parole in December 2016 after serving 19 months. ICE arrested G.M. at his home on Oct. 5, 2020, and detained him for 21 months without a bond hearing while removal proceedings continued.
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The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear his case Oct. 13. But in late August, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul granted G.M. a full and unconditional pardon for the assault conviction that had formed the basis for his deportation proceedings and mandatory detention. Solicitor General John Sauer agreed the case was moot, and the Supreme Court dismissed it Sept. 11 without ruling on the merits.
The administration then identified D.C. as its replacement vehicle and asked the justices to hear the same constitutional questions this term.
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Carrie Severino, president of Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), said the dispute is likely to affect many similar immigration cases nationwide.
«This is not a question that’s only going to affect D.C., the criminal Dominican national at issue in this case,» Severino told Digital. «This is an issue that’s going to affect criminal aliens across the country.»
A victory by D.C. would impose new hurdles on the government, including additional hearings and use of resources, Severino said.
«As we know, immigration cases, skipping out on showing up for court dates is incredibly common,» she added. «This is not something that I think the court ought to be granting on a regular basis that they’d be letting people out on bond simply on their word that they’re going to be coming back when they know that they are likely to be removed.»
The case also raises questions about who must prove whether continued detention is necessary. The Second Circuit ruled that the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that a detainee should remain in custody.
«And so, if the Supreme Court winds up affirming what the Second Circuit held, that means it’s going to be harder for the government to be able to detain this particular population of criminal aliens or terrorism-linked aliens,» Florida State University law professor Michael Morley told Digital. «There are going to be situations where the government is not able to show that a particular person is either likely to flee or poses a risk of danger and this dangerousness by a heightened or clear and convincing standard.»
«It means that these criminal aliens who are already subject to removal proceedings are more likely to be released into the community while those underlying removal proceedings continue to make their way slowly through the adjudicative process,» Morley continued.
The Supreme Court has not yet agreed to hear D.C.’s case.
immigrant rights, migrant crime, federal courts, supreme court, deportation, illegal immigrants, judiciary, law
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