A flagpole flying the Israeli flag was cut down with an angle grinder in a vandalism incident days before the nation's president arrived in Canberra, new documents reveal.
Documents released under freedom of information laws detail how the Israeli flagpole at the International Flag Display was found felled at its base on February 9, 2026, prompting a flurry of emails between government departments seeking to find a solution before the Israeli president Isaac Herzog's controversial visit to the capital city.
The National Capital Authority, which manages the display of 110 international flags, alerted the Department of Foreign Affairs that the flagpole had been cut down with an angle grinder and repairs were likely to take months.
