- November 14, 2025
- 9:59 pm
- Israel
At the beginning of November 2025, at a concert by Maxim Galkin in Petah Tikva, the artist raised the Ukrainian flag — an emotional gesture of support that the audience greeted with applause. But a few days later, on November 14, 2025, Russian propaganda media launched a massive attack: they claimed that Galkin allegedly “desecrated” the Israeli flag by “covering it with the Ukrainian one,” and now he “faces prison.”
The problem is only one: in Israel, no one has heard about this.
How the “crime” fake was born
On November 14, Russian Telegram channels released a series of posts where a snippet of the concert video was taken out of context. Within an hour, major Russian media picked up the story — with pompous headlines about “breaking the law” and “insulting the symbol of the state of Israel.”
At the center of this story are the mysterious “Israeli public figures” who allegedly filed a complaint against Galkin. But neither their names, organizations, nor statements exist.
This case is also reported by “Gazeta-ru,” Lenta-ru, EaDaily, “Komsomolskaya Pravda,” URA-ru, and others, but the source is the same for all: Telegram channel Mash.
“The country’s public figures didn’t like the act, in such a gesture they saw enslavement and occupation. Allegedly, the comedian insulted the national symbol of the country. That’s why the guys wrote an appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Security of Israel asking to check the situation and punish the citizen of Cyprus who successfully earns from them.”
Mash is one of the largest Russian Telegram channels, created in 2017 and part of the News Media holding, traditionally associated with the Kremlin. The channel has millions of subscribers and is known for publishing sensational news faster than anyone, often without fact-checking. Former employees and independent investigators have repeatedly pointed out that Mash works closely with state structures and fulfills political tasks, with editorial decisions often coordinated “from above.”
Channels like Mash often become the first “launchers” of fakes: they take a neutral episode, add emotional details — for example, fictional “Israeli public figures” — and start a wave of publications, which are then picked up by Russian federal media. Therefore, stories that start with Mash always require verification: in most cases, these are informational constructs without confirmation.
Who are the “public figures” no one has heard of?
In Israel, there are a huge number of real NGOs and public groups.
And if someone had indeed filed a complaint against a public artist — it would instantly appear in Hebrew media.
But:
— not a single Hebrew media wrote about “outraged activists,”
— not a single public committee acknowledged participation,
— there is not a single discussion about this episode on Israeli social media.
These “public figures” exist exclusively in Russian publications — as an element of dramatizing the plot.
What happened on stage at the beginning of November
Concert recordings show a completely different picture:
During the concert in Petah Tikva at the beginning of November 2025, there was one chair on stage, on the back of which the Israeli flag was hung. From the audience, Maxim Galkin was handed the Ukrainian flag. The artist took it with both hands, raised it to the audience, and thanked the person who handed it to him. Then he approached the chair and carefully hung the Ukrainian flag over the Israeli one, positioning it so that the Israeli flag was not completely covered. After that, the concert continued.
This is a stage emotional gesture — a common practice at concerts, especially when it comes to supporting Ukrainians, who make up a significant part of the audience at such events.
Does this relate to Israeli law? — detailed and factual
Yes, in Israel there is indeed the Flag and Emblem Law, 5709-1949 — the Law on the State Flag and Emblem.
It was adopted in the first months after the proclamation of the state and updated in 2016, when the Knesset tightened the punishment for intentional insult to the flag.
The maximum punishment under Israeli law is up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to approximately 58,400 shekels (≈ 15,000 dollars).
But it’s important to understand two things:
- what actions fall under the law,
- how this law is applied in real practice in Israel.
🔹 What exactly is considered “insult” under Israeli law
Legally, a crime is intentional, demonstrative, and unambiguous humiliation of the flag.
It refers to cases where a person consciously expresses contempt for a state symbol and does so publicly.
Classic examples given in court comments and police guidelines:
— flag burning;
— tearing or destruction;
— trampling, spitting, throwing in the trash;
— public use of the flag in a humiliating or vulgar context;
— actions accompanied by verbal insults to Israel.
That is, the law describes not just a physical action, but a context of clear hostility.
🔹 What is NOT considered an insult to the flag
Israeli justice pays attention to intention and meaning of the gesture.
Therefore, not covered by the law are:
— theatrical and stage performances,
— artistic interpretations,
— accidental everyday actions without intent,
— combined use of several flags,
— gestures of support for another country that are not directed against Israel.
Courts and police always look at the context, not just the fact of “contact” with the flag.
🔹 Why Galkin’s actions do not fall under the law
From the concert video in Petah Tikva, it is clear:
— the Israeli flag was not damaged;
— it was not destroyed, burned, or torn;
— there was not a single word degrading the state;
— Galkin’s gesture was an emotional act of support for Ukraine, not a demonstration of hatred towards Israel;
— the Israeli flag was not “hidden” or “smeared” — it remained visible;
— there was no aggressive context.
For Israeli law, this is a completely neutral action.
🔹 How it works in reality: police practice
A feature of Israel is the extremely cautious application of this law.
Even in cases where activists burn the flag at political rallies, the police:
— often do not detain participants;
— do not open criminal cases;
— consider episodes as an expression of political position, not a crime.
That is, even clearly radical actions often do not reach court, because Israel traditionally protects freedom of expression.
In such a system, a “case against Galkin” is legally impossible, because:
— there is no intent,
— there is no aggression,
— there is no damage,
— there is no public danger,
— there are no complainants,
— there is no crime event.
Why this fake was needed by Russian propaganda
There are several reasons:
1. To hit Galkin, who continues to criticize the Kremlin and supports Ukraine.
2. To sow distrust between Israel and Ukraine, especially against the backdrop of close ties between diasporas, cultural projects, and mutual support.
3. To promote the favorite narrative of “Israel’s enslavement by Ukraine”, which occasionally surfaces in Russian media.
The fake fits perfectly into this line — emotional, vivid, but completely detached from reality.
Conclusion
The fake about “flag desecration” is a completely fabricated construct launched on November 14, 2025 in Russian media.
It has no confirmations in Israeli sources and uses mythical “public figures” who do not exist in reality.
The concert in Petah Tikva at the beginning of November was a regular cultural event where the artist expressed support for Ukrainians.
Everything else is a product of propaganda trying to create conflict where there is none.
NAnewsIsrael News Nikk.Agency
