Sir, – There comes a point when the workload of concocting specious arguments against a course of action outweighs the effort of simply doing what needs to be done. Arguing against widespread demands that the Government should cancel the Nations League fixtures against the Israeli atate, Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue’s claim that this “would ultimately mean we would not be in a position to have any athletes participating in the next LA Olympics” sounds a lot like scraping the barrel for pretexts to justify Government inaction (Politics, Thurs 11 June).Elsewhere in this newspaper – contradicting the Minister’s claims this week that “this is a matter for the FAI to decide ... It is not appropriate for the Government to interfere here” – Diarmaid Ferriter cites a number of historical instances of government intervention, justified by what the Department of Foreign Affairs termed “our fundamental attitude” to the South African apartheid regime’s “degrading system”. In 1979, our government conceded that while it valued the independence of sporting organisations, it would take action in “the most exceptional circumstances”. If what 86 per cent of the Irish public regard as a genocide in Gaza, compounded by the Israeli state’s invasion and ethnic cleansing of Lebanon, do not qualify as “the most exceptional circumstances”, I do not know what does. The Government must take action, and cancel both home and away fixtures against Israel. Facing an unprecedented wave of public outrage against playing ball with genocide, the Government might just find that stepping on to the right side of history is easier than coming up with excuses not to. – Yours, etc. BRIAN Ó ÉIGEARTAIGHDonnybrook, Dublin 4.Sir, – Along with Diarmaid Ferriter’s piece on choices for the upcoming Ireland-Israel game we should not forget the words of the joint Fifa and Uefa statement on February 28th, 2022, when they banned Russia from playing football due to the invasion of Ukraine: “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine”, and that “we hope that football can again be a vector for unity and peace among people”.Where are Fifa and Uefa’s “unity” and “peace” stance when it comes to the Palestinian people? – Yours, etc,TOM HARPER,Blackrock, Co Dublin.Sir, – I presume having boycotted the Eurovision over the participation of Israel, RTÉ do not intend broadcasting either of the games the senior men’s Ireland team play against Israel? – Yours, etc,STEPHEN O’HARA,Carrowmore, Sligo.