A British Israeli academic has expressed disbelief after being detained by Israeli police for wearing a Jewish kippah embroidered with both an Israeli and a Palestinian flag. Alex Sinclair, 53, was at a café in Modiin when he was approached and reported by a fellow patron.
Upon police arrival, Sinclair was ordered to surrender his kippah and was taken to a police station, where he was held without the ability to call anyone. He later received his kippah back, but the section with the Palestinian flag had been cut out. The police action has raised eyebrows and prompted an investigation due to the tensions surrounding public displays of the Palestinian flag in Israel.
Sinclair, who had worn the kippah as a symbol of his complex Jewish-Zionist identity for the past two decades, described the experience as surreal and indicative of a larger issue related to freedom of expression under current political climates in Israel.
The police defended their actions, stating they were responding to reports regarding the kippah, which they claimed was 'against the law,' despite there being no explicit Israeli law prohibiting the display of the Palestinian flag. The event has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders and institutions, highlighting concerns about civil rights and political expression in Israel.
In the wake of this incident, Sinclair plans to order a new kippah featuring both flags, humorously suggesting that it might inspire a trend among others.
