Penal Law Bill (Amendment - Prohibition on Flying a Flag of an Enemy State or the Palestinian Authority in Bodies Funded or Supported by the State), 5784-2024

The bill seeks to add a new section to the Penal Law that would prohibit the flying of a flag of an enemy state or the Palestinian Authority in places where at least two people are gathered, provided the gathering takes place in a body funded or supported by the state. Anyone who violates the prohibition shall be liable to one year of imprisonment and a fine of up to 10,000 new shekels. The proposal also amends an existing section of the Penal Law, which stipulates that an unlawful assembly becomes a riot if there is reasonable ground to believe that the participants intend to breach the peace. The proposed amendment stipulates that flying a flag of an enemy state or the Palestinian Authority in bodies funded or supported by the state during a gathering shall also be considered an unlawful riot. The explanatory notes to the proposal state that while Israel as a democratic state allows for legitimate protest, a red line must be drawn when the protest undermines the very existence of the state or does not recognize it. Therefore, it is proposed to prohibit the flying of these flags in bodies supported by the state, as their display there constitutes a danger to the existence of the state.

Source: הצעת חוק לדיון מוקדם