KEY POINTS
- Mayors raise Palestinian flags despite Interior Ministry ban
- Move comes as France prepares to recognize Palestinian state at UN
- Courts step in to order removals, citing public service neutrality
- Tensions rise as local officials clash with national authorities
PARIS: Several French mayors have defied government orders by flying Palestinian flags over town halls in symbolic support for statehood just ahead of France’s formal recognition of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.
The Interior Ministry had instructed prefects to prevent the display of Palestinian flags on public buildings, citing France’s constitutional principle of neutrality in public service. A ministry “telegram” warned that raising the flag of a foreign entity risked importing international conflicts into French territory.
Despite the order, municipalities including Malakoff, Saint-Denis, and Nantes hoisted the Palestinian flag in solidarity. Malakoff’s mayor, Jacqueline Belhomme, told Agence France-Presse that the decision was meant to “welcome France’s recognition of the Palestinian state.”
She criticized the government’s intervention as a “coup” after a Paris court swiftly ordered her town hall to remove the flag.
The standoff comes amid mounting political pressure inside France. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure had publicly called on local officials earlier this month to show solidarity by displaying the Palestinian flag.
At the same time, some mayors sought to balance tensions by raising both Israeli and Palestinian flags “in the name of peace,” according to Associated Press reporting.
Government officials argue the issue is one of law, not politics. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reiterated that only the French tricolour and, in certain cases, the European Union flag may be displayed on public buildings. “Public institutions must remain neutral. It is not their role to carry the banner of foreign conflicts,” the ministry told Reuters.
The dispute coincides with France’s move to recognize Palestine formally at the UN General Assembly this week, a decision President Emmanuel Macron has said reflects the need for a “two-state solution.” Analysts told Le Monde that the local defiance underscores deep divisions within French society over the Gaza conflict, with mayors acting as symbols of grassroots sentiment even as the national government seeks to project unity.
The flag controversy also highlights France’s domestic sensitivities. With significant Jewish and Muslim populations, officials fear visible partisanship on municipal buildings could inflame community tensions. “This is not only about international law but also about preserving social cohesion,” a government adviser told The Washington Post.
As of this weekend, prefectures across France were filing administrative challenges to force the removal of Palestinian flags. Whether the wave of municipal defiance grows or fizzles may depend on how firmly the central government enforces the ban — and on the diplomatic fallout from France’s recognition of Palestine in New York.
