The human rights organization Amnesty International has criticised Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s ban on raising the Palestinian flag in public places as ‘repressive’.
Amnesty described the new measures as ‘repressive’ and called it an “audacious attack on the right to nationality, freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly,” in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse.
“Israeli authorities say the directive is aimed at stopping ‘incitement’ against Israel, but it comes amid a string of measures designed to silence dissent and restrict protests, including those held in defense of Palestinian rights,” it continued.
“The farcical pretexts for this directive cannot mask the fact that Israeli authorities are growing increasingly ruthless in their attempts to silence Palestinian voices,” Amnesty added.
Israel’s new national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, on Sunday issued orders to the police to prohibit the display of any Palestinian flag in public space.
Ben Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, said in a tweet, “I have instructed the police today to impose a ban on flying any Palestinian flag or any flag that shows identification with a terrorist organization or incites against the State of Israel.”
He added, “We will combat terrorism with all our might.”
