Albania’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has issued a statement regarding Saturday’s protest, announcing that several masked individuals removed and desecrated the flag of the State of Israel at the Israeli Embassy in Tirana.

In its response, the Ministry strongly condemned the act, emphasizing that such actions have nothing to do with freedom of expression or the right to peaceful protest, but instead constitute manifestations of hatred and intolerance.

“The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania strongly condemns the removal and desecration of the flag of the Embassy of the State of Israel in Tirana by masked protesters during last night’s demonstration,” the statement said.

According to the Ministry, these actions are incompatible with democratic values and European standards, as well as with the principles of respect and coexistence that characterize Albanian society.

“Such actions are expressions of hatred and the incitement of hatred, and are entirely incompatible with the principles of respect and coexistence that form the foundation of Albania,” the statement added.

The Ministry also stressed that Albania remains committed to protecting diplomatic missions and their symbols, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The statement further expressed solidarity with the Embassy of the State of Israel, emphasizing that violence, intimidation and hate speech have no place in a democratic society.

Israel’s Ambassador to Tirana, Galit Peleg, also reacted to the incident. In a post on X, Peleg said that the act undermined the dignity of the Albanian people and their proud heritage.

“Last night in Tirana, protesters removed the Israeli flag and tore it apart amid the cheers of the gathered crowd. As the ambassador of a democratic state, I believe in the Albanian people’s right to exercise their civic right to protest. However, such an act not only fails to serve the cause of public protest, but also undermines the dignity of the Albanian people and their proud heritage. I thank Minister Hoxha for his immediate and clear condemnation of this act,” she wrote.