Israel just banned flying Palestinian flags in public. 🇵🇸 Here’s what you need to know. The vehemently anti-Palestinian Itamar Ben-Gvir is part of Israel’s new far-right government. As one of his first acts in office, he’s working to criminalize Palestinian identity, instructing Israeli police to take down any Palestinian flags they see. This isn’t the first time Israel has banned Palestine’s national symbol. From 1967 to 1993, it was illegal to lift the Palestinian flag in public. Ever since, Israeli soldiers and police have continued to confiscate the flag at-will, especially in Jerusalem. What’s worse, a 1980 law in Israel went so far as to criminalize use of the Palestinian flag’s colors in any artwork. You read that right. Political art was confiscated by the Israeli government. Palestinians were arrested simply for painting in red, black, green, and white. Ben-Gvir’s move to ban the Palestinian flag is a dangerous example of the new Israeli government embracing extremist, fascist policies. But it's also a continuation of decades-long practices in Israel, to suppress and punish Palestinians on the basis of their identity alone. The Palestinian flag is a national symbol, but it is also a symbol of solidarity shared by all people facing oppression. At the end of the day, no Israeli decree can keep the Palestinian symbol of freedom out of the sky. 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸