A Palestinian flag was repeatedly waved on the Arabic-language Makan public broadcasting channel, which is funded by the Israeli government, just days after new Communications Minister Shlomo Karai expressed interest in slashing funding to the body.
As part of a skit on the satirical TV show Alshumo, a female presenter waved the Palestinian flag while joking about National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s directive to the police to remove the flag from public spaces.
“Yes, it’s forbidden to raise the flag like this,” she says while flipping the flag upside down, “and like this,” she added, then whipping it around in a circular motion.
She then wraps herself and her male co-host in the flag, saying, “This is not allowed, okay?”
The clip sparked outrage among right-wing groups, who decried the Palestinian flag being presented on a government-funded TV channel and said that it reinforced Karai’s intention to cut public funding to the broadcaster.
“It is unfortunate and outrageous that public money is used as a platform to support incitement and terrorism,” said Shai Glick, CEO of the right-wing Betzalmo NGO, in a statement to Hebrew language media.
“We call on the Minister of Communications and the Corporation Council to put an end to the incitement that is taking place on the Makan channel,” stated Matan Peleg, chairman of the Zionist NGO Im Tirtzu, in a press statement.