A law banning the hoisting of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags in Israeli universities and academic institutions was approved on Wednesday evening in a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum.
63 Knesset members voted in favor and 16 opposed the law which was submitted by MK Eli Cohen (Likud).
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett voted in favor of the law. MKs from the Yesh Atid, Blue and White and Labor parties were absent from the plenum during the vote.
The law was submitted after PLO flags were raised at recent “Nakba Day” rallies at Ben Gurion and Tel Aviv universities.
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the approval of the preliminary reading of the "Flag Law" and said, "Today the flag won. A few minutes ago, we passed MK Eli Cohen's law by an overwhelming majority. This is an important day for the State of Israel and the future of the Jewish state."
The explanatory notes to the bill state that it "draws a red line between a legitimate protest and a protest during which flags are flown by those who do not recognize the State of Israel or pose a threat to its existence, in bodies budgeted or supported by the state."