TEL AVIV, Israel — A left-wing artist who posted a video of herself defecating on an Israeli flag to protest the country’s treatment of Palestinians appeared in court on Monday facing charges of desecrating a national symbol. The video entitled “S*** instead of blood” was posted on Natali Cohen Vaxberg’s Facebook page on July 18 - and provoked outrage. “It's disgusting, also a democracy has its limits," Miriam Levi wrote after the video was re-posted on Friday. Chen Bee wrote: "I want to complain, she hurt my feelings and my nation... Who can I complain to?" Cohen Vaxberg was arrested on Sunday and released on bail following a brief court appearance on Monday.
More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed and some during this summer’s war in Gaza. Meanwhile, 72 Israelis died — 67 of them soldiers. This is the highest fatality rate since Israel’s 2006 war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. This isn't the first time Cohen Vaxberg has caused an outcry. She shocked visitors to Israel's Holocaust museum in April, according to The Jerusalem Post, when she recited a monologue that included the lines: "I am the Holocaust, the best thing that ever happened to you!"
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