A pro-Palestine demonstrator appeared to spit on the Israeli flag as demonstrators on either side of the divide clashed in Australia yesterday.

Tensions boiled over outside the Victoria State Library in Melbourne in the wake of renewed violence between the Israeli army and Palestinians on the Gaza border.

Footage of a man in a blue jacked spitting on the Israeli flag was captured on video, and subsequently uploaded to YouTube.

Avi Yemini, a pro-Israel activist who posted the video, told the Daily Mail that it amounted to a “hate crime and an act of intimidation”.

He said: “It makes Jews scared to display their pride in fear of similar attacks.”

Mr Yemini, a former IDF soldier, had co-ordinated the ‘Standing with Israel Against Islamic Terror’ demonstration, in direct response to a ‘Solidarity with Palestine’ rally.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators reportedly demanded the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Australia, Mark Sofer.

A journalist was reported among the dead on Friday as Israeli troops opened fire during the second round of mass protests in eight days. Hundreds more were injured.

Protesters in Gaza have taken to the streets twice for the "March of Return" demonstrations over Palestinians’ demand for a right of return to land lost to Israel in 1948.

The Israeli army indicated last week that it would carry out an investigation into the deaths of 27 Palestinians and the wounding of hundreds more during the first round of violence.