Israeli Police Briefly Confiscate Hungarian Flag at Protest

(MENAFN) Israeli police reportedly seized a Hungarian flag from a demonstrator after mistaking it for a Palestinian flag, citing concerns that it could “cause provocation,” according to reports.

While both flags share the colors red, white, and green, they differ significantly in design. The Hungarian flag is a simple horizontal tricolor, whereas the Palestinian flag includes four colors, featuring a black stripe and a red triangle.

The incident, as reported on Saturday, took place during an anti-government protest at Karkur Junction in northern Israel the previous week.

The protester said he was holding the Hungarian flag when he noticed a police officer observing him.

“Three out of the four colors of the Palestinian flag also appear in the Hungarian flag, so I told her it was a Hungarian flag,” he said, according to reports.

The officer reportedly consulted a superior, after which the flag was confiscated. The protester later said the commander acknowledged the explanation but maintained that confusion among others justified the action: “You might understand that, but others don’t,” the officer allegedly said. The flag was eventually returned after the protest ended.

Police guidelines issued in 2024 are said to discourage confiscation of protest materials, even when they are critical or potentially provocative.

Separately, reports earlier this month described another incident in which police confiscated and damaged a protest sign reading “Two states for two peoples – Israel and Palestine,” with the demonstrator briefly detained on suspicion of incitement. An officer involved was quoted as saying: “I’ve filled my quota for tonight.”

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