Israeli police confiscated a Hungarian flag from an anti-government protester, claiming that it looked ‘too much’ like the Palestinian flag and could cause ‘provocation’, Israeli media reported over the weekend.
The incident occurred just over a week ago at the Karkur Junction in northern Israel. According to The Times of Israel, police officers approached a man waving a Hungarian flag during a demonstration and demanded that he hand it over.
The misunderstanding stemmed from similarities in the colour composition of the Hungarian and Palestinian flags. Both feature green, white, and red, although their arrangement differs, and the Hungarian flag does not include black.
Displaying a Palestinian flag is not illegal in Israel, but police have in some cases confiscated flags at protests, citing concerns about public order.
‘When I explained to him that it was the Hungarian flag,’ the protester said, ‘you might understand that, but others don’t,’ Haaretz reported. ‘I suggested that I return the flag to the car, but he refused and confiscated it. Only when the demonstration was over did he relent and return the flag to me.’
According to Haaretz, police had not responded to the outlet’s inquiry regarding the incident at the time of publication.
Israeli police reportedly confiscated a Hungarian flag at an anti-government protest, saying it resembled the Palestinian flag.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 25, 2026
Source: The Times of Israel pic.twitter.com/5q3oTP7Pza
The incident quickly gained traction online, where reactions were largely mocking and critical. On social media platforms such as X, users ridiculed the confiscation as an example of overreach or incompetence, expressing disbelief that a clearly identifiable Hungarian tricolour could be mistaken for the Palestinian flag.
The incident also comes at a time when Hungary’s long-standing relationship with Israel—particularly with the government of Benjamin Netanyahu—may be subject to reassessment following Viktor Orbán’s departure after 16 years as prime minister. His successor, Péter Magyar, has sent mixed signals regarding Israel: initially inviting Netanyahu to Budapest for the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, before later stating that Hungarian authorities should arrest him if such a visit were to occur, citing the international arrest warrant issued by the ICC.
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