Israeli police confiscated a Hungarian flag from an anti-government protester at the Karkur Junction in northern Israel, claiming it looked too similar to the Palestinian flag and could cause provocation, Israeli media reported on Saturday.
The misunderstanding stemmed from colour similarities between the two flags: both feature green, white and red, though their arrangement differs and the Hungarian flag does not include black.
The protester told Haaretz that when he explained it was the Hungarian flag, an officer replied: "You might understand that, but others don't."
He offered to return the flag to his car, but the officer refused and confiscated it, only returning it after the demonstration ended.
Israeli police had not responded to Haaretz's inquiry at the time of publication.
The incident drew widespread mockery online, with users on X ridiculing the confiscation as an example of overreach or incompetence.
The episode also comes as Hungary's long-standing relationship with Israel faces potential reassessment following Viktor Orbán's departure after 16 years as prime minister. His successor, Peter Magyar, has sent mixed signals on Israel, initially inviting Netanyahu to Budapest, then later stating Hungarian authorities should arrest him if he visited, citing the ICC's international arrest warrant against the Israeli leader.
