Israeli flag confiscated at Iran World Cup game while Palestinian flags remain in stands, video shows

A video from Monday's Iran-New Zealand World Cup crippled astatine SoFi Stadium extracurricular of Los Angeles appeared to amusement a man's Israeli emblem getting confiscated, portion adjacent Palestinian flags were capable to stay successful the stands.

The Instagram reel, posted by @blackandjewishunity, showed a man, who aboriginal identified himself to Fox News Digital arsenic Rony, with an Israeli emblem draped implicit his shoulders approached by 2 members of Apex Private Security astatine the stadium. One unit subordinate said that "the house, which is the installation here, is asking to region this flag" for Rony's "safety."

"Why can't you region that flag?" Rony asked, pointing to a Palestinian emblem conscionable 2 rows down him. "You guys aren't removing this emblem but you guys are removing my flag?

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Fans of Iran clasp flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G lucifer betwixt Iran and New Zealand astatine Los Angeles Stadium successful Los Angeles, California, connected June 15, 2026. (Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)

"It seems similar a small antisemitism is playing a portion here."

Romy told information that if the Palestinian emblem were removed, helium would region his Israeli flag. Another unit subordinate said if Rony did not springiness up his Israeli flag, helium would person to permission the stadium.

The 2nd unit subordinate said it was the "call" of evident adjacent FIFA employees to person the Israeli emblem removed, portion helium and Rony some had their hands connected the flag.

"I don't marque the rules... I'm conscionable doing what I'm told," the staffer said, adding that Rony would beryllium capable to get the emblem backmost astatine a aboriginal time.

Later connected successful the video, a pistillate Apex information subordinate said, "The lone flags that are allowed to beryllium retired are the teams that are playing." When she was notified that the Palestinian emblem was not confiscated, she responded, "Oh, I don't know."

Neither Israel nor the Palestine men's nationalist squad are successful the World Cup. Only Israel has qualified successful each team's history, backmost successful 1970.

When Rony attempted to get his emblem back, helium approached a archetypal responder and said that information said they would springiness him his emblem back. The archetypal responder answered, "No they didn't. FIFA took it."

Representatives for FIFA and SoFi Stadium did not instantly respond to emails from Fox News Digital. The Los Angeles Host Committee deferred Fox News Digital to FIFA.

Rony told Fox News Digital helium is simply a Los Angeles nonmigratory who amazed his begetter with World Cup tickets arsenic "avid" shot fans. Rony said helium is rooting for Team USA and wants to be a USA crippled astatine SoFi Stadium.

"We emotion our boys," Rony said.

Rony said that helium did not expect backlash from fans speech from the accustomed "bad apples giving america a hard time."

"Even erstwhile we came into the stadium, we didn't person immoderate problems with anyone...We were really getting a batch of emotion and support. I was not expecting this result whatsoever," Rony said.

Iranian fans show Palestinian and Iranian flags up of the 2026 World Cup Group G lucifer betwixt Iran and New Zealand astatine Los Angeles Stadium successful Inglewood connected June 15, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

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Rony said helium was told that unit was "pointing astatine maine and singled maine out" successful a sold-out stadium.

"I saw flags from each astir the world. There's flags from Lebanon, Mexico, everywhere, from each walks of the world, there's flags. So it took maine by astonishment that they were doing that to maine and singling maine out."

Rony said helium was besides told by information that the "head of FIFA didn't attraction about" the Palestinian emblem down him, "and they lone cared astir my emblem successful particular."

"They said they don't person a occupation with their flags, and they lone person an contented with ours," Rony said, citing a "double standard. "They had nary marching orders successful bid to instrumentality their flag, oregon anyone else's flag. It was beauteous embarrassing...

"We thought we lived successful America successful 2026, not Nazi Germany successful the 30s."

Rony did notation that astir of the stadium unit and information were "apologetic and connected my side" and adjacent "distraught myself."

"We're conscionable proud, Israeli Jews who are conscionable retired there, conscionable similar everybody else, looking to person a bully clip and correspond our country," Rony said.

Getty Images captured photos of a Palestinian emblem astatine some the Brazil-Morocco and France-Senegal matches connected Saturday and Tuesday, some of which took spot astatine MetLife Stadium.

FIFA regularisation 4.2.23 states that World Cup attendees indispensable lone usage flags "in a festive and affable manner," and "upon the petition of the Event Organisers, Ticket Holders indispensable instantly remove, halt demonstrating and/or licence the confiscation of immoderate flags, banners oregon poster." FIFA besides prohibits "materials" that are of "political...nature." A Los Angeles justice upheld FIFA's prohibition connected Iran's "lion and sun" emblem that was utilized up until 1980, pursuing the Islamic Revolution.

Fans of Iran airs with a pre-revolutionary Iranian emblem joined with an Israel emblem during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G lucifer betwixt Iran and New Zealand astatine Los Angeles Stadium connected June 15, 2026. (Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)

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Many Israel flags were spotted passim the Iran-New Zealand crippled amid the warfare betwixt the 2 Middle Eastern countries. Iran's adjacent crippled volition beryllium connected Sunday, besides astatine SoFi Stadium, against Belgium.

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