Two ultra-Orthodox Jewish men used long poles to remove Israeli flags in Beit Shemesh on April 20, on the eve of Israeli Memorial Day. Police arrived shortly after and arrested the men, describing the act as “ugly and despicable”. A segment of the ultra-Orthodox community is anti-Zionist and does not recognise Israel’s Independence Day or Memorial Day as religious holidays, viewing the state as a secular creation rather than a divinely ordained one. The two men were taken into custody for questioning