George Norcross Reveals How Eagles Security Treated Him Over Israel Flag

George Norcross has detailed the series of events surrounding his removal from a Philadelphia Eagles game after he refused to take down an Israeli/American flag from his box on Sunday.

The businessman attended the home game against the Dallas Cowboys with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, but was ejected for displaying the flags over the side of his VIP box and ignoring repeated requests to remove them.

His removal came 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 have been killed in Israel, mostly in the Hamas attack. Since then, Israel has killed more than 10,000 people in Gaza and more than 150 have died in the occupied West Bank, according to figures cited by the Associated Press.

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.

A spokesperson for the Eagles told Newsweek in a statement that onetime Democratic Party powerbroker Norcross was asked to take down his display because their "stadium policies expressly prohibit signage containing any kind of non-game messaging to be hung from a stadium suite."

It was further stated that Norcross became "physically and verbally abusive" when he was repeatedly asked by staff to remove the display. He was eventually escorted out "just as anyone else would be after engaging in abusive behavior in violation of stadium policy."

In an op-ed published by USA Today on Tuesday, Eagles fan Norcross has hit back at the allegations leveled against him, accusing security staff of twisting "my arm behind my back into an armlock" before he was "paraded out of the stadium."

On the initial approach from staff at the stadium, Norcross wrote that he "told the security guard in no uncertain terms I wouldn't take it down because it was important to make a clear statement that America was standing by its longtime ally, Israel."

Citing the Eagles' October 9 statement, in which it condemned "abhorrent acts of terrorism" carried out in the October 7 attacks, Norcross said that his display "seemed consistent with the team's view."

"Then more security guards came in, one after another, until almost a dozen security staff jammed into the box," he stated. "One aggressively went to rip off the flag. I stood up to block him and made it clear—loudly—that the flag would remain, and he could leave."

Writing that he was "more confused about what was happening," he said: "The security staff of the Eagles and NFL (not the Philadelphia police) twisted my arm behind my back into an armlock and I was paraded out of the stadium in front of thousands as the flag was torn down and crumpled in view of the crowd. It is still unclear to me how the flag could be deemed 'obscene or indecent' or otherwise inappropriate."

Countering the Eagles' claim he became "physically and verbally abusive," Norcross said that "eyewitnesses who watched me get assaulted can attest I was never physically abusive, but I certainly became increasingly loud."

Norcross added that he has "been sickened by the rhetoric I've seen from across the political spectrum blaming Israel for the murder and rape of its citizens.

"As a longtime season ticket holder and passionate Eagles fan, I am disappointed in the team's owner and leadership," he wrote, before defending Israel for its strikes on Gaza.

"I believe Israel has the right to defend itself, just as the United States did following the September 11 attacks. I will remain a proud and vocal defender of its right to do so," he concluded.

Norcross' brother, Donald Norcross, was one of the first U.S. representatives to visit Israel after the Hamas 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."

Newsweek has contacted representatives of the Eagles via email for comment.

Update 11/08/23 6:28 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.

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