Full Breakdown
Israeli Police Detain Lecturer Over Dual-Flag Kippah, Return It With Palestinian Symbol Removed
4/25/2026, 10:10:19 AM
Incident Overview
On Monday in Modiin, Alex Sinclair, a 53-year-old Hebrew University lecturer, was detained after a passerby claimed his kippah—embroidered with Israeli and Palestinian flags—was illegal. Police held him for about twenty minutes, confiscated his kippah and later returned it with the Palestinian flag cut out.
Context & Significance
Displaying the Palestinian flag is legal, yet police may remove it if deemed a public-order threat. Since National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s 2023 directive to ban the flag, authorities have seized flags at protests and arrested individuals for related posts, raising concerns about symbolic expression and expanding police powers after the Gaza war.
Key Actors
Alex Sinclair (lecturer); Israeli police (detaining officers, DIPI); Itamar Ben Gvir (National Security Minister); Yair Golan and Gilad Kariv (Democrats MKs); Hebrew University; ACRI; Tag Meir.
Timeline
- Monday: Sinclair confronted; police arrived within five minutes.
- ~20 min later: He was placed in a cell, kippah confiscated.
- After 20 min: Released; kippah returned without the Palestinian flag.
- Next day: Complaint filed with DIPI.
Official Statements
Police said they responded to a hotline report of a man wearing a kippah with a Palestinian flag and released him after clarification. The Hebrew University called the act a blatant violation of freedom of expression. Tag Meir said the detention breached expression rights. The internal investigations division declined further comment pending the complaint.
Criticism & Opposition
Democrats MK Yair Golan called the episode the collapse of the Israeli police. MK Gilad Kariv labeled it a systemic breakdown and urged criminal and civil action. ACRI warned the police are following the minister’s agenda and violating constitutional protections.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Police assert no law bans the Palestinian flag, while Ben Gvir treats it as a terrorist symbol. Sinclair says the flag was cut from his kippah; police statements do not mention alteration. The legal line between detention and arrest remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “She’d taken my possession, a religious ritual object, something that is very dear to my heart, and destroyed it.” — Alex Sinclair, Lecturer
- “This isn't just a story about a kippah that was crudely torn off by police.” — Yair Golan, Democrats MK
- “If police officers had cut off a Jew’s kippah in any other country in the world, there would have been an uproar here in Israel,” — Gilad Kariv, Democrats MK
- “This is sheer madness and absurdity, and a serious violation of autonomy, freedom of expression, liberty, freedom of religion, and dignity.” — ACRI spokesperson
What’s Next
The Police Investigation Department is reviewing the officers’ conduct; Democrats MKs have called for a criminal probe and civil suit. Sinclair plans to order a new dual-flag kippah and seeks compensation.
