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Video of Monday’s Iran-New Zealand World Cup match at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles appears to show one man’s Israeli flag being confiscated, while adjacent Palestinian flags are allowed to remain in the stands.
The Instagram Reel, posted by @blackandjewishunity, showed a man, who later identified himself to PK Press Club Digital as Rony, with an Israeli flag draped over his shoulders, being approached by two members of Apex Private Security at the stadium. A staff member said that “the house, which is the establishment here, is asking to remove this flag” 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’re not taking down this flag, but you’re taking down my flag?
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Iranian fans wave the 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. (Sébastien Frej/Getty Images)
“It seems like some anti-Semitism is playing a role here.”
Romy told security that if the Palestinian flag was taken down, he would take down his Israeli flag. Another staff member said that if Rony did not give up his Israeli flag, he would have to leave the stadium.
The second staff member said it was a “call” from apparent nearby FIFA employees for the Israeli flag to be taken down, even though he and Rony both had their hands on the flag.
“I don’t make the rules…I just do what I’m told,” the staffer said, adding that Rony could get the flag back later.
Later in the video, a female member of Apex security said, “The only flags allowed out are those of the teams that are playing. When informed that the Palestinian flag had not been confiscated, she replied: “Oh, I don’t know.”
Neither Israel nor the Palestine men’s national team are participating in the World Cup. Only Israel has qualified in the history of each team, in 1970.
When Rony attempted to get his flag back, he approached a first responder and told him that security said they would give him his flag back. The first responder replied: “No, they didn’t. FIFA took it.”
Representatives for FIFA and SoFi Stadium did not immediately respond to emails from PK Press Club Digital. The Los Angeles host committee transferred PK Press Club Digital to FIFA.
Rony told PK Press Club Digital that he was a Los Angeles resident and surprised his father with World Cup tickets as “avid” soccer fans. Rony said he supports the U.S. team and wants to attend a U.S. game at SoFi Stadium.
“We love our boys,” Rony said.
Rony said he didn’t expect any negative reaction 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 were actually receiving a lot of love and support. I didn’t expect such a 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. (Frédéric J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
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Rony said he was told staff were “pointing and singling me out” in a sold-out stadium.
“I saw flags from all over the world. There are flags from Lebanon, Mexico, everywhere, from every corner of the world, there are flags. So it took me by surprise that they would do this to me and single me out.”
Rony said security also told him that “the head of FIFA didn’t care” about the Palestinian flag behind him, “and that they only cared about my particular flag.”
“They said they didn’t have a problem with their flags, and they only had a problem with ours,” Rony said, citing “double standards.” “They had no marching orders to take their flag, or anyone else’s. It was quite embarrassing…
“We thought we were living in America in 2026, not Nazi Germany in the 1930s.”
Rony mentioned that most of the stadium staff and security were “sorry and on my side” and even “distraught myself.”
“We’re just proud, Israeli Jews who are there, like everyone else, looking to have a good time and represent our country,” Rony said.
Getty Images captured photos of a Palestinian flag during the Brazil-Morocco and France-Senegal matches on Saturday and Tuesday, both of which took place at MetLife Stadium.
FIFA Rule 4.2.23 states that World Cup participants must only use flags “in a celebratory and friendly manner” and “at the request of the event organizers, ticket holders must immediately remove, cease protesting and/or authorize the confiscation of any flag, banner or poster”. FIFA also prohibits “documents” of a “political nature”. A Los Angeles judge has upheld FIFA’s ban on the Iranian “lion and sun” flag, used until 1980, after the Islamic Revolution.
Iranian fans pose with a pre-revolutionary Iranian flag accompanied by 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. (Sébastien Frej/Getty Images)
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Many Israeli flags were seen throughout the Iran-New Zealand match, amid the war between the two Middle Eastern countries. Iran’s next match is Sunday, also at SoFi Stadium, against Belgium.
