Display of Ukrainian, Russian Flags on Yerushalayim’s Old City Walls Sparks Uproar

A display of the Ukrainian and Russian flags that lit up the Old City walls in Yerushalayim on Sunday night was quickly removed after sparking controversy on social media.

The municipal initiative meant to convey a message of peace, also bearing the title “May there be peace from heaven” – a clear reference to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s efforts to mediate between the warring parties and the possibility that peace talks could be held in Yerushalayim.

The gesture, however, did not go over well, sparking a social media firestorm over the decision to display the Russian flag, as the Kremlin is the aggressor in the conflict.

“I have to wonder what was the Yerushalayim mayor thinking when he decided to light the walls up with both flags instead of just the Ukrainian flag,” former Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Gal-On tweeted.

In a statement, a city hall spokesperson said, “Yerushalayim, the Israeli capital, is a city of peace and coexistence. We support an end to the fighting and reaching an understanding between the parties.

“We will be happy to grant Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request and host the diplomatic dialogue between the two countries here in Yerushalayim.”