Israel’s new Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, ordered Palestinian flags to be raised in public places.
“I have given orders to remove flags supporting terrorism from public spaces and to stop incitement against the State of Israel,” he wrote on Twitter yesterday. According to media reports, it is still unclear whether the order is legal.
Palestinian flags were waved during celebrations for the release of a Palestinian in northern Tel Aviv last week. The man was convicted of killing an Israeli soldier in 1983. Some Palestinian flags could also be seen at a demonstration against the new government in Tel Aviv over the weekend.
announced penalties
Hanging and displaying the Palestinian flag is not strictly prohibited in Israel. However, flags can be removed if they “endanger public order”. Israeli authorities have regularly exercised this right in the past. There are always clashes.
Israel’s new right-wing religious government recently announced a series of punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority.