Israeli Flag Defaced With Red Paint On Ben Franklin Parkway

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A suspect is in custody after the Israeli flag was defaced on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Tuesday.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia said employees initially responded to a report that the flag had been vandalized. While walking over, they say employees caught a man using a paint gun to spray red paint on the flag.

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Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney say police arrested the suspect shortly after the incident.

"I'm very upset to learn of the desecration of the Israeli flag that hangs along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Hate and anti-Semitism have no place in the City of Philadelphia. While I understand that emotions are running high and there are many viewpoints stemming from recent violence against Palestinians and other protesters in the Gaza Strip, it doesn't warrant hateful acts of violence," said Kenney.

Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip after the new U.S. Embassy opened in Jerusalem on Monday.

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The suspect's name has not yet been released.