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Stop Antisemitism founder Liora Rez called on FIFA and the White House’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force to put a stop to the “Show Israel the Red Card” campaign ahead of the global soccer tournament.
The campaign began in February at a UEFA Champions League match in Scotland. Celtic FC fans unfurled a banner that called on FIFA and UEFA, the confederation that Israel is a part of, to punish the country’s national team over its response in Gaza to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks. There was no penalty against Celtic FC or its fans for the banner.
Since then, CBC reported that the campaign has spread across other European countries, including Italy, Spain and Belgium, along with Brazil, Chile, Malaysia and Tunisia.
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A flag is seen as Celtic fans display a banner stating “Show Israel the Red Card,” on Feb. 12, 2025. (Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith)
Rez said FIFA has done nothing to combat the issue.
“We’ve seen absolutely nothing, which is so alarming,” she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “We’ve seen the head of FIFA say and do, again, absolutely nothing. We’ve seen none of the fans be penalized or removed from the games holding up these signs. So again, we want the task force that President Trump set up to step in ahead of time and be proactive and say, no, this isn’t welcome in the United States. This isn’t gonna fly here.”
Rez added that FIFA President Gianni Infantino should take a “strong stand” against the campaign.
“I think it has to be eradicated immediately,” she said. “Gianni Infantino needs to take a strong stand and say, ‘Bigotry and bias against the world’s only Jewish country is not welcome in any type of organization I’m heading.’ He has yet to do that.
“And because he hasn’t, we’re calling on President Trump’s task force to step in and demand that this kind of, again, bias and isolation and vilification of Israel is just not welcome in the United States. Americans aren’t going to stand for it.”
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Banners are seen as Osasuna fans display a banner stating “Show Israel the Red Card,” on Feb. 15, 2025. (REUTERS/Vincent West)
Fox News Digital reached out to FIFA and UEFA for comment.
President Donald Trump tapped Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as the executive director of the task force.
In March, Trump signed an executive order establishing the task force for the soccer tournament, which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Trump will serve as the chair of the task force, while Vice President JD Vance will serve as the vice chair. As the executive director, Giuliani will be tasked with managing and overseeing daily operations.
Trump also announced Tuesday that Carlos Cordeiro, a FIFA senior advisor, will serve as a senior advisor on the task force.
The task force was created to lead federal efforts in support of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A White House official told Fox News Digital on Thursday that task force does not support any kind of proposal to exclude Israel from the World Cup.
President Donald Trump, right, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino talk in the Oval Office of the White House after signing an executive order for a task force related to the FIFA World Cup in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2025. (Jim WATSON / AFP)
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“We hope that Andrew Giuliani, as head of this task force, really steps in and works with Gianni Infantino to say, ‘This rhetoric is not welcome here, you need to make a statement. And we’re not going to be welcoming antisemites, anti-Westerners, anti-American, pro-terror individuals, whether they’re fans or players, into this country,’” Rez said.
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