Liora Rez, the founder of Stop Antisemitism, is urging FIFA and the White House’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force to take action against the “Show Israel the Red Card” campaign. This campaign first appeared in February during a UEFA Champions League match in Scotland, where Celtic FC fans displayed a banner urging FIFA and UEFA to penalize Israel’s national team for its actions in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. No penalties were imposed on Celtic FC or its fans for this banner.
The campaign has since spread to several countries, including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Malaysia, and Tunisia, according to CBC. A flag was prominently displayed as Celtic fans unfurled a banner reading “Show Israel the Red Card” on February 12, 2025. Rez expressed her concerns to Fox News Digital, stating that FIFA’s lack of response is “so alarming.”
Rez emphasized the need for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to take a firm stance against the campaign. She remarked, “I think it has to be eradicated immediately,” and urged Infantino to declare that “Bigotry and bias against the world’s only Jewish country is not welcome in any type of organization I’m heading.” Rez also called on President Trump’s task force to intervene, stressing that such bias and vilification of Israel is not acceptable in the United States.
The campaign has sparked memories of past incidents, such as the targeting of Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam. Banners were again displayed by Osasuna fans on February 15, 2025, calling for Israel to be shown the “red card.” Fox News Digital reached out to both FIFA and UEFA for their comments on the matter.
President Donald Trump appointed Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as the executive director of the task force. Back in March, Trump signed an executive order to establish the task force in preparation for the soccer tournament, scheduled to be hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Trump will lead the task force, with Vice President JD Vance as the vice chair, while Giuliani will oversee day-to-day operations.
Additionally, Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA, has been named as a senior advisor to the task force. This task force was set up to coordinate federal efforts for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the task force does not support any exclusion of Israel from the World Cup.
In a meeting at the Oval Office, President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino discussed the executive order for the World Cup task force. Rez hopes that Andrew Giuliani will work closely with Infantino to address these issues, stating, “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.”
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