The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved on Sunday a bill to update the penalty for burning an Israeli flag of 300 lira, worth about 10 agorot in a currency no longer in use, to NIS 50,000. The bill by MK Nava Boker (Likud) would also increase the possible prison sentence for burning a flag from one year to three. Like in most laws in which the prison sentence listed in the law is up to a year, judges currently have the option of fining a flag-burner up to NIS 29,200, even though the specific law against it lists a penalty worth less than a shekel. The Justice Ministry rejected other articles in Boker's draft of the bill, such as making flag burners' ineligible for unemployment benefits or government-funded scholarships. Boker lamented the move, saying it is blocking a deterrent and “the Justice Ministry still does not realize we are at war.” “Whoever burns a flag must pay the price and not receive benefits,” she stated. “At the same time, I think enforcing the prison sentence will deter flag-burners and stop the inciting demonstrations among Israeli Arabs.”
