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South Jersey power broker George Norcross was removed from a Philadelphia Eagles game for displaying an Israeli flag.
Video shared to social media appeared to show Norcross sitting in a private box at the Eagle's Lincoln Financial Field in the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday with a combined American and Israeli flag draped in front of it.
Security approached Norcross, who is a businessman and Democratic Party broker, and attempted to remove the flag, but he tried to stop them. They exchanged words and he was escorted away from his seat. Security then removed the flags.
Following the incident, Norcross released a statement, condemning the action. "Yesterday, I was forcibly removed and assaulted by the non-police security staff of Lincoln Financial Field and the Eagles/NFL for refusing to remove a 3' x 5' American and Israeli flag I'd hung off the box I was sitting in," he said.
"As a longtime passionate fan and season ticket holder, I have watched the Eagles/NFL make clear and strong statements on numerous important civil justice issues and ethnic and world conflicts, including supporting the people of Ukraine, so as a strong supporter of Israel—a country which was viciously attacked by the terrorist group Hamas less than a month ago—I thought it was an important statement to make."
The lengthy message continued: "It remains unclear why the Eagles/NFL believe that the US-Israeli flag should be deemed 'obscene or indecent' or otherwise inappropriate—which is what I was cited for—and should therefore be ripped down despite both issuing public statements strongly supporting Israel following the October 7th attacks. But as I consider whether to file suit against the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL and the security company which yanked me out of the box and paraded me in front of thousands of fans, I urge other supporters of Israel to make their feelings known to the team and the NFL just as they have to universities like Penn and Harvard.
"There is no dispute: On October 7th, Hamas murdered innocent Israeli civilians, raped woman and butchered children, and continues to hold hostages. I believe Israel has the right to defend itself, just as the United States did following the September 11th attacks and I will remain a proud and vocal defender of its right to do so," Norcross added. "Americans have the right to peacefully protest, but that does not include the right to threaten people with bodily harm or even death."
Teams across the NFL last month held a moment of silence before games to honor the victims of the Hamas attacks in Israel, with the commemoration at the game between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans in London, England, interrupted by "Free Palestine" chants from fans.
In a separate statement to Newsweek, the Eagles clarified the reason behind Norcross' removal.
"We feel it necessary to articulate the facts of the matter involving Mr. Norcross at the stadium on Sunday. Mr. Norcross' removal from the stadium had nothing to do with the content of his sign," the statement read.
"Our stadium policies expressly prohibit signage containing any kind of non-game messaging to be hung from a stadium suite. Stadium staff repeatedly asked Mr. Norcross to remove the sign he hung outside of the suite. Instead of complying with the request, Mr. Norcross became physically and verbally abusive. Mr. Norcross was ejected from the stadium only after his abuse toward numerous stadium staff members continued. He was escorted from the suite level to the stadium's ejection point, just as anyone else would be after engaging in abusive behavior in violation of stadium policy."
According the field's policy: "Signs, banners or similar items that are obscene or indecent, unrelated to the event, potentially offensive to other patrons, that may block the views of other fans or that are otherwise considered dangerous or inappropriate by the Eagles are prohibited."
"Lincoln Financial Field reserves the right to confiscate signs that are in violation of the stadium policy," the guidelines read.
His removal comes amid the ongoing air strikes and ground offensive by Israel against the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian group Hamas is holding more than 200 hostages it kidnapped during its surprise military action on October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack, and since then Israel has killed more than 9,700 people in Gaza and 154 have died in the occupied West Bank, according to figures cited by the Associated Press.
People on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to Norcross' apparent removal from the stadium.
"I'M WITH GEORGE NORCROSS ON THIS... not the Philadelphia@eagles. George displayed a U.S.-Israel flag from his own box, which he paid for, at today's game. Eagles security physically removed him. The Eagles owe an apology to George and to the Jewish community. #IStandWithIsrael," wrote one person.
Another added: "So it's acceptable to display an LGBTQ or BLM flag but not an American/Israeli flag at an Eagles game? George Norcross was removed from the Philadelphia Eagles game for displaying an American/Israeli flag in his box."
And a third posted: "Interesting as the Eagles owner Jeff Lurie is Jewish. Given the shift in South Jersey toward Republicans, the Democratic machine has lost some of its luster anyway. Norcross has stepped back from politics somewhat. Why he placed the flags seems likely due to personal convictions."
Norcross' brother, Donald Norcross, is a U.S representative and was one of the first congressional leaders to visit Israel after the October 7 attacks.
"This wasn't in the course of a battle between armies," he told the Philly Voice at the time. "This was an attack on men, women and children — babies. It's just unfathomable what has occurred there."
Update 11/08/23 at 6:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add comments from Norcross and the Eagles, and additional information.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more