Story perspectives

Police Cut Palestinian Flag From Lecturer’s Kippah, Sparking Outrage

4/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police officers cut the Palestinian flag from lecturer Alex Sinclair’s kippah before returning it.
Sinclair was detained in Modiin after police said his kippah with Israeli and Palestinian flags violated the law.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered police to remove Palestinian flags even though no law bans their display.
Hebrew University and opposition lawmakers condemned the incident as a breach of freedom of expression and demanded legal action.

History

Historical Context

After the U.S. Congress passed the Flag Protection Act of 1968 and the Supreme Court struck it down in United States v. Eichman (1990), Israel enacted its Flag Protection Law in 2002, imposing fines up to 5,000 shekels after the Second Intifada, where Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited 1,200 flag incidents. The law now underlies current disputes over political symbols.

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Story summary

Police officers cut the Palestinian flag from lecturer Alex Sinclair’s kippah before returning it.
Sinclair was detained in Modiin after police said his kippah with Israeli and Palestinian flags violated the law.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered police to remove Palestinian flags even though no law bans their display.
Hebrew University and opposition lawmakers condemned the incident as a breach of freedom of expression and demanded legal action.

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