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Video from Monday’s World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles appeared to show the confiscation of a man’s Israeli flag while adjacent Palestinian flags were allowed to remain in the stands.
The Instagram reel, posted by @blackandjewishunity, showed a man, who later identified himself to Pak Gazette Digital as Rony, with an Israeli flag draped over his shoulders, approached by two members of Apex Private Security at the stadium. A staff member said that “the house, which is the facility here, is asking for this flag to be removed” for Rony’s “safety.”
“Why can’t you take that flag down?” Rony asked, pointing to a Palestinian flag just two rows behind him. “You are not going to remove this flag but you are going to remove mine?
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Iran fans hold flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium in Los Angeles, California on June 15, 2026. (Sebastián Frej/Getty Images)
“There seems to be a bit of anti-Semitism at play here.”
Romy told security that if the Palestinian flag was removed, he would remove the Israeli flag. Another staff member said that if Rony did not hand over his Israeli flag, he would have to leave the stadium.
The second staff member said it was the “call” from apparently nearby FIFA employees to remove the Israeli flag, while he and Rony had their hands on the flag.
“I don’t make the rules… I just do what I’m told,” the staff member said, adding that Rony could get the flag back later.
Later in the video, an Apex security member said, “The only flags that can be out are those of the teams that are playing.” When notified that the Palestinian flag had not been confiscated, he responded: “Oh, I don’t know.”
Neither Israel nor the Palestinian men’s team are in the World Cup. Only Israel has qualified in the history of each team, back in 1970.
When Rony tried to get his flag back, he approached a lifeguard and told him that security told him they would give him his flag back. The lifeguard responded: “No, they didn’t. FIFA took him away.”
Representatives for FIFA and SoFi Stadium did not immediately respond to emails from Pak Gazette Digital. The Los Angeles Host Committee referred Pak Gazette Digital to FIFA.
Rony told Pak Gazette Digital that he is a Los Angeles resident who surprised his father with World Cup tickets as an “avid” soccer fan. Rony said he supports Team USA and wants to attend a USA game at SoFi Stadium.
“We love our guys,” Rony said.
Rony said he didn’t expect any negative reactions from fans other than the usual “bad apples giving us a hard time.”
“Even when we entered the stadium, we didn’t have any problems with anyone… We actually received a lot of love and support. I didn’t expect this result at all,” Rony said.
Iranian fans display Palestinian and Iranian flags before the 2026 World Cup Group G match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 15, 2026. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
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Rony said he was told that staff were “pointing and pointing at me” in a packed stadium.
“I saw flags from all over the world. There are flags from Lebanon, from Mexico, from everywhere, from all areas of the world, there are flags. So it took me by surprise that they did that to me and pointed me out.”
Rony said security also told him that the “head of FIFA didn’t care” about the Palestinian flag behind him, “and they only cared about my flag in particular.”
“They said they had no problem with their flags and they only had problems with ours,” Rony said, citing a “double standard.” “They had no orders to march to take their flag or anyone else’s. It was quite embarrassing…
“We thought we were living in the United States in 2026, not Nazi Germany in the 1930s.”
Rony mentioned that most of the stadium staff and security were “apologetic and on my side” and even “I myself was distraught.”
“We’re just proud, Israeli Jews who are out there, like everyone else, looking to have a good time and represent our country,” Rony said.
Getty Images captured photos of a Palestinian flag at the Brazil-Morocco and France-Senegal matches on Saturday and Tuesday, both played at MetLife Stadium.
FIFA rule 4.2.23 states that World Cup attendees must only use flags “in a festive and friendly manner” and “upon the request of the event organizers, ticket holders must immediately remove, stop demonstrating and/or allow the confiscation of any flag, banner or poster.” FIFA also prohibits “materials” that are of a “political nature.” A Los Angeles judge upheld FIFA’s ban on Iran’s “lion and sun” flag, which was used until 1980 after the Islamic Revolution.
Iran fans pose with a pre-revolutionary Iranian flag attached to an Israeli flag during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on June 15, 2026. (Sebastián Frej/Getty Images)
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Many Israeli flags were seen during the match between Iran and New Zealand amid the war between the two Middle Eastern countries. Iran’s next match will be on Sunday, also at SoFi Stadium, against Belgium.
