Detention of Academic for Wearing Dual-Flag Kippah Prompts Internal Police Investigation
Introduction
Alex Sinclair, a British Israeli lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was briefly detained by Israeli police after a fellow cafe patron reported his kippah—which featured both the Israeli and Palestinian flags—as illegal. The incident has generated domestic and international attention and led to a formal complaint with the police internal investigations division.
Main Body
The incident occurred in Modiin, central Israel, where Sinclair was working on his laptop at a cafe. According to his account, a man approached him with an angry demeanor, asserted that the kippah was against the law, and stated his intention to summon the police. Officers arrived approximately five minutes later and informed Sinclair that his head covering was illegal and would be confiscated. Sinclair refused to surrender it, was taken into custody, transported to a police station, and placed in a cell. After about twenty minutes, he was released but initially denied the return of his kippah. Upon his insistence, a female officer returned the item with the Palestinian flag portion cut out. Sinclair described the experience as surreal and filed a complaint with the Department of Internal Police Investigations, citing unlawful detention and property damage. Israeli police confirmed that they responded to a hotline report regarding a man wearing a kippah with a Palestinian flag. In a statement, they noted that the individual was brought to the station for clarification and subsequently released. They declined further comment, citing an ongoing complaint with the Ministry of Justice’s internal investigations division. Under Israeli law, there is no explicit prohibition against displaying the Palestinian flag; courts have generally treated it as protected expression. However, police are authorized to remove or confiscate such flags if they are deemed a threat to public order or indicative of identification with a terrorist organization. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has directed police to enforce stricter measures against Palestinian flags, a policy that Israeli rights organizations have characterized as unlawful. Sinclair, an observant Masorti Jew who grew up in north London, stated that he had worn the dual-flag kippah for approximately twenty years as a deliberate expression of what he termed “the messy ambivalence of my Jewish-Zionist identity.” He described himself as a Zionist who believes in Israel’s right to exist in security alongside Palestinian rights. He chose the design to distinguish himself from right-wing and far-right religious nationalists. Over the years, he reported receiving both positive reactions from Palestinian citizens of Israel and occasional negative encounters, which he had previously managed to turn into political discussions. Following this incident, he expressed anger, frustration, and concern about being on police radar. He is planning to order a new kippah with both flags and has demanded compensation for the damaged item, as well as a written assurance that he can wear it without harassment. Reactions to the incident have included criticism from political figures and academic institutions. Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s Democrats Party, characterized the event not merely as a matter of a damaged kippah but as indicative of a broader collapse of the Israeli police. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where Sinclair lectures in Jewish education, issued a strongly worded letter expressing concern over what it described as a blatant violation of freedom of expression and condemning the officers’ conduct. The broader context includes a significant expansion of police powers to enforce public order since the commencement of Israel’s military operation in Gaza in October 2023, following a deadly incursion by Hamas. Multiple incidents of officers removing and seizing Palestinian flags have been reported. According to figures from Palestinian health authorities, more than 72,000 people have been killed and over 172,000 injured by Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past three years.
Conclusion
The case underscores ongoing tensions surrounding political expression in Israel, with the police’s actions now subject to internal investigation. Sinclair intends to continue wearing the dual-flag kippah, while the outcome of his complaint and the broader implications for freedom of expression remain pending.