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.
In an email, a DFAT staff member asked why the flagpole could not be replaced by another pole, saying: "We would greatly appreciate it if you could please convey to the Built Assets team the urgency of the flagpole matter".
"We understand the complexity and obstacles present; however, we would really appreciate a timely interim solution that the NCA can provide," a second email read.
The International Flag Display includes flags representing 108 diplomatic missions with a presence in Canberra, as well as the flags of the European Union and the United Nations.
By Tuesday afternoon, NCA chief operating officer Hamid Heydarian advised that the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet had agreed the United Nations flag could be replaced by the Israeli flag during the president's visit on the Wednesday.
"We will arrange for the flag to be installed tomorrow. There will also be guard at the IDF [sic] over the course of the day," his email to DFAT read.
"We cannot simply take another pole from another part of the Estate ... the IDF [sic] flag poles are 12 meters tall. All other flagpoles on the Estate are 6 meters tall."
The NCA also made a request to relocate the Israel nameplate to the UN flagpole during the president's visit.
Two days after the vandalism incident, Mr Heydarian said an ordered replacement flagpole would take between eight to 10 weeks to arrive.
"The timing is due to lead time to source the material to construct the flagpole - the material is not an 'off the shelf' product, it is a custom order," his email read.
Damage to the flagpole's spigot, a metal part concreted into the ground, meant reinstallation "requires more work than last time- this time we need to cut concrete, dig out the old spigot, reinstall new spigot, allow time to cure then install the flag pole".
An Israeli embassy official thanked the NCA for providing details of the flagpole replacement process and their team's "considerable efforts" in late February.
"As I am sure you understand, not having our flag, especially as this is the second time, and for such an extensive (while understandable) period, is deeply saddening for us as an Embassy," the email read.
"I was wondering if you see a possible solution to prevent future repeats? We are very eager to see it fly continuously!"
ACT Policing confirmed in May 2026 that officers attended the vandalism scene, but no charges had been laid and "at this time no further leads are available".
The new flagpole was erected in early April, along with a security camera to protect the site from further vandalism.
An NCA spokesperson confirmed three acts of vandalism to the Israeli flag and the flagpole in the year to April 2026. The authority had to pay for a new flag after it was stolen in September 2025.
"The CCTV monitors the area in the event of future potential vandalism attempts. The area will also continue to be monitored by security," the spokesperson said.
The NCA redacted the costs of replacement flags, poles and a security camera in the documents released to this masthead.
The released documents also reveal how the NCA chief executive was receiving "a lot of" emails from people requesting "urgent action" on the absent Israeli flag in September 2025.
"It is a targeted act of vandalism that not only disrupts public order but also seeks to intimidate a community that deserves our support ... what is equally alarming is the evident double standard from the day of the incident: the Iranian flag continued to fly, despite our government's decision to expel the Iranian ambassador," an email to the authority said.
"This sends a confusing message about our diplomatic integrity and commitment to our values."
A senior NCA staff member said in an email to DFAT: "I have been advised that the NCA will not respond however we are sharing for DFAT's awareness and for any action you may want/need to take."
The released documents also show the authority was forced to fund new Russian flags after one was stolen from the International Flag Display in July 2024.
"We are replacing it ASAP. This will put our sets out of alignment and we may need to purchase a one off 4 yard Russian flag to fill the gap," an email from the NCA read.
"As we have now had two flags stolen ... we have also asked Built Assets to look into the locking mechanism too," a follow up email read.
The NCA confirmed the Russian flag was stolen twice in 2022. This masthead previously reported it was stolen again on the 2025 Australia Day long weekend.
The cost of replacing the stolen flags was redacted in the released documents, but the company from which the NCA procured the Russian flags sells an Australian flag in the same size for about $450.
