Israeli Minister Orders Removal Of Palestine Flags From Public Spaces
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Hashim Sheikh
- . January 9, 2023
- . Update: January 9, 2023 3:42 pm
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security of Israel, on Sunday, ordered the removal of Palestine flags from public spaces. Police officers and soldiers can remove Palestine flags from places where they deem there is a threat to public order.
The directive from Ben-Gvir, who heads an ultranationalist party in the new far-right government, demanded the immediate removal of Palestine flags.
He has instructed police to remove Palestine flags from the places as he thinks waving the Palestinian flag is an act in support of “terrorism.”
The minister reportedly said in a statement, “It cannot be that lawbreakers wave terrorist flags, incite and encourage terrorism.” Subsequently, he demanded the removal of flags in order to stop the incitement against Israel. The minister said that the flag was the symbol of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
The minister said that he ordered Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai to implement the new policy and remove the Palestine flags as soon as possible. Reportedly, Police officers are now authorised to pull down flags of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Read | Israel announces sanctions on Palestinian Authority after UN vote
Last week, Israel’s longest-serving Palestinian prisoner was set free after completing a 40-year sentence. He waved a Palestinian flag while receiving a grand welcome in his village in northern Israel.
A 60-year-old Karim Younis was convicted of kidnapping and killing Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1983. He spent 40 years in jail.
Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri urged authorities to strip the Israeli citizenship of Younis. Some relatives of Israelis killed in Palestinian violence also demanded similar action.
Recently, Israel also imposed a package of five sanctions against the Palestinian Authority. Under various measures, Israel would take 139 million shekels from PA funds to compensate the families of victims who were killed during Palestinian militant attacks. The Israeli authorities also revoked the VIP cards of some Palestinian officials.
