Mon Sep 22 13:13:19 UTC 2025: **French Mayors Defy Government, Fly Palestinian Flags Ahead of UN Recognition**

**Paris, France** – In a show of solidarity with Palestinians, mayors across France are defying a government order to remove Palestinian flags from town halls. This comes as France prepares to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, joining a growing number of European and Western nations.

As of Monday, at least 21 town halls had raised the Palestinian flag, according to the Interior Ministry, despite outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau’s call for “neutrality.” The mayors are responding to a call from Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, who condemned Retailleau’s stance as “insane indecency,” arguing that such condemnation is hypocritical when atrocities are occurring in Gaza.

“How can we today say that this is a reprehensible act when we do not condemn what is happening in Gaza?” Faure questioned.

The communist mayor of Malakoff, Jacqueline Belhomme, defended her decision to hoist the flag, stating, “it is something symbolically important, just as we did some time ago with the Ukrainian flag.”

The move is seen as a direct response to France’s impending recognition of a Palestinian state amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has seen over 65,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to sources. The situation in Gaza is expected to be a key focus at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot defended the recognition, calling it “a categorical disavowal” of Hamas and “a great diplomatic victory for France.”

However, the decision has drawn criticism from some quarters. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, labeled it an “extremely serious mistake,” accusing the government of recognizing “Hamastan.” Conversely, Mathilde Panot of the France Unbowed party accused Le Pen of supporting the “genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
Former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin urged leaders not to disregard the “humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza” as they move to recognize Palestine.

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