There were times when
The police and the army
Would assault anyone who
Raised a Palestinian flag
And charge them with
“Identifying with
A terrorist organization.”
It appeared that
The Oslo Agreements
Put an end to
The hunting if flags.
The red-green-black-white flag
Became the flag of
The Palestinian National Authority,
Which signed an agreement
With Israel.
On at least one occasion
It flew at
The Prime Minister’s residence
In Jerusalem
During an official visit
By a Palestinian representative.
However, in recent months
The hunting of flags
Was renewed and intensified.
The Jerusalem police
Attacked a funeral
In front of
TV cameras
From around the world,
Simply because
The Palestinian flag
Was raised there.
The army that
Constantly complains about
A lack of personnel
Allocated soldiers
To accompany settlers
To cities and villages
In the Occupied Territories,
To climb poles and
Remove Palestinian flags.
Yet just at
This kind of time,
Beersheba University decided
To allow a demonstration of
Arab students
At which
Palestinian flag
Was raised.
Even when
The mayor of Beersheba
Aroused against them
A flood of
Crude nationalist incitement,
The heads of the university
Were undeterred and
Reiterated their position:
Raising the Palestinian flag
On campus
Is a legitimate part
Of the Freedom of Expression
Which the students fully deserve.
That kind
Of civil courage
Is all too rare
In 2022 Israel.