Paolo Zampolli, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, said Thursday he was deeply troubled by the confiscation of an Israeli flag during the Iran vs. New Zealand match at a stadium in Los Angeles. Speaking to Kan News, he said the incident showed there is “no place for antisemitism or double standards in sports.”
The reaction came after video showed stewards taking away an Israeli flag while Palestinian flags were allowed to remain in the stands. Zampolli argued that sport should unite people, not divide them, and urged FIFA to apply the same rules to all flags.
In a follow-up comment, he said, “Every fan deserves the same respect, and I trust FIFA to respond to the incident and treat the matter seriously.” He also posted on X that “Sports should be a bridge that unites,” and wrote, “I hope @FIFAWorldCup applies the same fair rules to all flags. Antisemitism has no place in sports.”
The article notes that Zampolli is one of Trump’s close friends and introduced him to Melania in the late 1990s, when Zampolli was managing a major modeling agency. The report also references related coverage about FIFA and Israel-Palestine issues, but gives no further details on any response from FIFA.
