Israel's parliament approves bill banning raising of Palestinian flag

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Wednesday passed a new bill that prohibits raising the Palestinian flag.

According to the Knesset website, the bill titled "prohibition of raising the flag of a hostile entity" was proposed by the far-right Jewish Strength (Otzma Yehudit) party headed by hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

It added the bill was supported by 54 lawmakers versus 16 who opposed it.

The bill stipulates that raising the Palestinian flag, or other flags of states classified as the enemy to Israel, within an assembly "will constitute a criminal offense that bears the penalty of a year's imprisonment."

The bill was approved in the parliament’s initial session and there are still three sessions to go before the bill is finally passed.

In January, Ben-Gvir said he instructed police to remove the Palestinian flags from public spaces.

Even before the new draft bill, the Israeli police and soldiers had the authority to remove Palestinian flags in cases where they deem there is a threat to public order.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, for its part, condemned the passing of the bill against the Palestinian flag, considering it "evidence that the ruling regime in Israel is heading towards fascism."

The ministry warned that the move will further escalate the conflict.

It added that the failure of the international community to check the Israeli violations encourages it to go further with its colonial plans and apartheid policy.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar​​​​​​​