As Israelis all over the country wrapped up their celebrations of Israel’s 69th Independence Day on Tuesday, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem set fire to an Israeli flag.

Video footage aired by Channel 10 TV showed a group of men and boys from Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood standing in a circle around a bonfire, as one man waved a large, burning flag backwards and forwards in the flames.

Some segments of ultra-Orthodox society refuse to recognize the State of Israel and oppose Zionism, because of their belief that the establishment of a Jewish state should only come after the arrival of the Jewish Messiah.

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Some also burn Israeli flags during the holiday of Lag B’Omer, the traditional date of the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a first-century CE sage, marked with celebration, bonfires and feasts.

Many Ultra-Orthodox Jews do not serve in the Israeli army and run their own educational system, but receive a variety of grants from the government. Ultra-Orthodox men tend to study in religious seminaries, while their wives work.

In March last year, lawmaker Nava Boker (Likud) proposed a bill — understood to be aimed at Palestinian protesters — to hand out harsher punishments for anyone desecrating the Israeli flag. In July the bill became law.

“Perhaps jail is not a severe enough punishment. Perhaps we should make a law that will revoke citizenship from those who degrade the flag. Someone who does not know how to respect the state has no reason to benefit from the privileges [of citizenship],” Boker posted on Facebook at the time.

The legislation currently allows for imprisonment for up to three years, or a fine of up to NIS 50,000 ($13,000). Those convicted of the crime could also have a slew of rights revoked, including access to national health care and unemployment benefits and even higher education scholarships.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.