Binyamin Netanyahu garnered much attention during the height of the Arab Spring for calling Israel “the only real democracy in the Middle East.”

On Tuesday, as Israelis celebrated the country’s 65th birthday, Jerusalem police demonstrated just how measured one should be when applying the word democracy to Israel.

According to Ma’an News Agency:

Israel on Tuesday detained and interrogated five Palestinians for raising Palestinian flags on their cars in Jerusalem. Two of those detained were released on bail of 5,000 shekels ($1,378) and on condition that they do not raise Palestinian flags as Israel celebrates Independence Day. [...] Eight others were pulled over by traffic police and fined 250 shekels for having Palestinian flags on their cars.The erosion of Israel’s democratic standing – as well as the inherent contradictions present in trying to maintain a “Jewish” and “democratic” state – are well documented. Tuesday just happened to be a moment in which these contradictions became as clear as the flags being flown on Independence Day.

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