JERUSALEM (VINnews) -Israeli police are facing scrutiny after Alex Sinclair said he was detained in the city of Modiin over a kippah bearing Israeli and Palestinian flags and later received it back with the Palestinian flag cut out.

Sinclair, a British-Israeli educator and author, detailed the encounter in a Facebook post that gained widespread attention, saying officers told him the kippah was unlawful before taking him to a police station, placing him in a holding cell and later releasing him. He said an officer returned the religious head covering only after removing the Palestinian flag.

In his post, Sinclair described the episode as a troubling sign for free expression in Israel and said he filed a complaint alleging unlawful detention and damage to property. Israeli police said the incident has been referred to an internal investigations unit and declined broader comment while the complaint is under review.

The case has fueled debate over civil liberties and the treatment of Palestinian symbols in Israel, where National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has pushed for aggressive action against such displays, calling them provocative. Critics say Sinclair’s account reflects broader concerns over police conduct and political expression.

Sinclair, who has worn the kippah for years as a symbol of coexistence and what he has described as a liberal Zionist identity, said the damage to the kippah carried deep personal and symbolic meaning. In his post, he wrote that it was difficult not to see the incident as part of a broader shift in the country’s political climate.

The episode drew support from activists, legal advocates and opposition figures, including Yair Golan, and has sparked renewed discussion over the future of pluralism and dissent in Israel. Sinclair said he intends to replace the kippah and continue wearing it.