French cultural and religious leaders warn Macron on recognition of Palestine
A group of 20 leading figures from the world of Jewish culture and religion in France have called on the French president Emmanuel Macron to ensure that France's recognition of a Palestinian state be made conditional on the release of hostages in Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas.
Issued on: 20/09/2025 - RFI
A group of 20 leading figures from the world of Jewish culture and religion in France have called on the French president Emmanuel Macron to ensure that France's recognition of a Palestinian state be made conditional on the release of hostages in Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas.
Issued on: 20/09/2025 - RFI
Yvan Attal (left) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (right) were among 20 cultural and religious figures in France who signed an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron urging him to insist on certain conditions before recognising a state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly. AFP - SAMEER AL-DOUMY
Macron is preparing to recognise a Palestinian state on Monday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York – a move that has won the backing of countries including Canada, Australia and Belgium..
In an open letter to the French newspaper Le Figaro, film stars such as Charlotte Gainsbourg and Yvan Attal as well as cartoonist Joann Sfar and TV presenter Arthur urge Macron to be categorical about his terms.
"We solemnly ask you to affirm that this recognition will only take effect after the hostages have been released and Hamas dismantled (...) Recognising a Palestinian state now will not help Palestinian civilians or contribute to the release of the hostages.
"It is at this price, and this price alone, that this gesture can contribute to peace," says the letter signed by Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, Elie Korchia, the president of the Central Consistory, Haïm Korsia, the Chief Rabbi of France and Ariel Goldman, the president of the United Jewish Social Fund.
"Otherwise, it would be a moral capitulation to terrorism," the letter adds.
On Thursday in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 television, Macron praised Israel’s historic achievements in security but said the current strategy in Gaza was backfiring.
“You are provoking so many civilian victims and casualties that you are completely destroying Israel’s image and credibility,” he told viewers. “Not just in the region, but in public opinion everywhere.”
The French leader argued that while Hamas must be dismantled, purely military solutions would not succeed in breaking the cycle of violence.
Instead, he emphasised the importance of diplomacy – particularly on the stalled two-state solution.
Macron is preparing to recognise a Palestinian state on Monday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York – a move that has won the backing of countries including Canada, Australia and Belgium..
In an open letter to the French newspaper Le Figaro, film stars such as Charlotte Gainsbourg and Yvan Attal as well as cartoonist Joann Sfar and TV presenter Arthur urge Macron to be categorical about his terms.
"We solemnly ask you to affirm that this recognition will only take effect after the hostages have been released and Hamas dismantled (...) Recognising a Palestinian state now will not help Palestinian civilians or contribute to the release of the hostages.
"It is at this price, and this price alone, that this gesture can contribute to peace," says the letter signed by Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, Elie Korchia, the president of the Central Consistory, Haïm Korsia, the Chief Rabbi of France and Ariel Goldman, the president of the United Jewish Social Fund.
"Otherwise, it would be a moral capitulation to terrorism," the letter adds.
On Thursday in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 television, Macron praised Israel’s historic achievements in security but said the current strategy in Gaza was backfiring.
“You are provoking so many civilian victims and casualties that you are completely destroying Israel’s image and credibility,” he told viewers. “Not just in the region, but in public opinion everywhere.”
The French leader argued that while Hamas must be dismantled, purely military solutions would not succeed in breaking the cycle of violence.
Instead, he emphasised the importance of diplomacy – particularly on the stalled two-state solution.
'The hope of peace will vanish'
Macron also used the interview to defend his decision to officially recognise the Palestinian state which he argues would sideline Hamas.
The French president said that recognising Palestine is “the best way to isolate Hamas” and a decision that “should have been taken a long time ago”.
He accused the current Israeli government of trying to kill off the two-state option, pointing to a recent vote to resume settlement expansion in the West Bank.
“We are at the last [moment] before proposing two states becomes totally impossible,” he warned. “Now is the time to act – not tomorrow, not in 10 years. If we don’t move, the conflict will only deepen, and the hope of peace will vanish.
Macron also used the interview to defend his decision to officially recognise the Palestinian state which he argues would sideline Hamas.
The French president said that recognising Palestine is “the best way to isolate Hamas” and a decision that “should have been taken a long time ago”.
He accused the current Israeli government of trying to kill off the two-state option, pointing to a recent vote to resume settlement expansion in the West Bank.
“We are at the last [moment] before proposing two states becomes totally impossible,” he warned. “Now is the time to act – not tomorrow, not in 10 years. If we don’t move, the conflict will only deepen, and the hope of peace will vanish.
France's Interior Ministry clamps down on public display of Palestinian flags
A political row has erupted in France over whether town halls should be allowed to display the Palestinian flag on Monday, the day Paris will formally recognises a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.
Issued on: 19/09/2025 - RFI
A political row has erupted in France over whether town halls should be allowed to display the Palestinian flag on Monday, the day Paris will formally recognises a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.
Issued on: 19/09/2025 - RFI
France has banned mayors from raising the Palestinian flag on public buildings on Monday, the day Paris is set to formally recognise a Palestinian state. © AFP -
The Interior Ministry has told police prefects across the country to block mayors from flying the Palestinian flag on public buildings next Monday, 22 September – the day France will formally recognise the state of Palestine.
The ministry argued that displaying the flag would breach the neutrality required of public institutions.
Prefects have been asked to take non-compliant town halls to administrative courts if necessary.
The warning comes after Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure called on mayors to raise the Palestinian flag on 22 September, when President Emmanuel Macron is due to make France’s recognition of Palestine official at the UN General Assembly in New York.
UN gathers to advance two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict
Several local leaders – including the mayors of Nantes and Saint-Denis – have already said they plan to raise the flag.
But the Interior Ministry insists that doing so would be “taking sides in an international conflict” and would amount to unlawful interference.
The note to prefects, signed by senior official Hugues Moutouh, also highlighted “serious risks to public order” and warned of the danger of “importing an international conflict on to national soil".
France to recognise Palestinian statehood, defying US-Israel backlash
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Faure wrote: "Prefects do not have the power to ban demonstrations. The courts will decide if necessary. A minister who has resigned should be dealing with day-to-day business, not seeking to symbolically oppose the decision taken by the President of the Republic to recognise a Palestinian state."
(with AFP)
The Interior Ministry has told police prefects across the country to block mayors from flying the Palestinian flag on public buildings next Monday, 22 September – the day France will formally recognise the state of Palestine.
The ministry argued that displaying the flag would breach the neutrality required of public institutions.
Prefects have been asked to take non-compliant town halls to administrative courts if necessary.
The warning comes after Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure called on mayors to raise the Palestinian flag on 22 September, when President Emmanuel Macron is due to make France’s recognition of Palestine official at the UN General Assembly in New York.
UN gathers to advance two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict
Several local leaders – including the mayors of Nantes and Saint-Denis – have already said they plan to raise the flag.
But the Interior Ministry insists that doing so would be “taking sides in an international conflict” and would amount to unlawful interference.
The note to prefects, signed by senior official Hugues Moutouh, also highlighted “serious risks to public order” and warned of the danger of “importing an international conflict on to national soil".
France to recognise Palestinian statehood, defying US-Israel backlash
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Faure wrote: "Prefects do not have the power to ban demonstrations. The courts will decide if necessary. A minister who has resigned should be dealing with day-to-day business, not seeking to symbolically oppose the decision taken by the President of the Republic to recognise a Palestinian state."
(with AFP)
As France prepares to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly next week, the French interior ministry on Friday ordered prefects to oppose the display of Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings to protect "the principle of neutrality". Several opposition politicians from the left have denounced the order.
Issued on: 19/09/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Catherine VIETTE
File photo of a protester with a Palestinian flag taken during a Palestinian solidarity demonstration at the Place de la République in Paris on July 29, 2025. © Bertrand Guay, AFP
02:00
France's interior ministry has ordered prefects to oppose the display of Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings next week when Paris is set to formally recognise the Palestinian state.
"The principle of neutrality in public service prohibits such displays," the interior ministry said in a telegram, a copy of which was seen by AFP on Friday.
Any decisions by mayors to fly the Palestinian flag should be referred to courts, the interior ministry said.
Israel's war on Gaza is a hot-button issue in France, and it is not uncommon to see flags hanging out of windows in Paris and elsewhere.
Several French mayors have already announced their intention to display the Palestinian flag on their town halls next week.
On Monday, France is set to formally recognise Palestine's statehood at the United Nations General Assembly.
Read moreTimeline: The state of Palestine’s long road to recognition
The warning from the interior ministry came after Socialist leader Olivier Faure called for the Palestinian flag to be flown on town halls on Monday, when Jewish worshippers also celebrate the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year.
However, the interior ministry said any such display would amount to "taking sides in an international conflict".
"It is therefore appropriate," the telegram said, "to ask mayors who display such flags on their public buildings to cease doing so and, in the event of refusal or non-compliance" to refer those mayors' decisions to administrative courts.
'Courts will decide'
Faure, the Socialist leader, said on Friday that prefects did not have the power to ban such displays.
"The courts will decide if necessary," he said on X.
"An outgoing minister should manage day-to-day affairs, not seek to symbolically oppose the decision taken by the president to recognise a Palestinian state," Faure added, referring to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
France is awaiting the announcement of the new cabinet lineup after Macron last week named his close ally Sébastien Lecornu as the new prime minister to resolve a deepening political crisis.
Several French town halls have had to remove Palestinian flags following court decisions.
In June, a court ordered the mayor of the eastern city of Besançon to remove the Palestinian flag, saying she had "violated the principle of neutrality of public services" by displaying the flag.
The mayor Anne Vignot said at the time she was "shocked" by the ruling.
"Is denouncing a massacre and supporting a starving people under bombardment no longer a cause that unites us under the banner of the Republic?" she said in a statement.
The same month the mayor of the southern city of Nice had to remove Israeli flags from the front of the town hall following a court order.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Macron of pursuing a policy of "appeasement" of the Hamas militants. Macron said Thursday that recognising the Palestinian state would isolate Hamas.
Read moreFrance bears the brunt of Israel’s isolation ire
Several other leaders have announced their intent to formally recognise the Palestinian state during the UN summit.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many French city halls have displayed the Ukrainian flags in a gesture of solidarity.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
02:00
France's interior ministry has ordered prefects to oppose the display of Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings next week when Paris is set to formally recognise the Palestinian state.
"The principle of neutrality in public service prohibits such displays," the interior ministry said in a telegram, a copy of which was seen by AFP on Friday.
Any decisions by mayors to fly the Palestinian flag should be referred to courts, the interior ministry said.
Israel's war on Gaza is a hot-button issue in France, and it is not uncommon to see flags hanging out of windows in Paris and elsewhere.
Several French mayors have already announced their intention to display the Palestinian flag on their town halls next week.
On Monday, France is set to formally recognise Palestine's statehood at the United Nations General Assembly.
Read moreTimeline: The state of Palestine’s long road to recognition
The warning from the interior ministry came after Socialist leader Olivier Faure called for the Palestinian flag to be flown on town halls on Monday, when Jewish worshippers also celebrate the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year.
However, the interior ministry said any such display would amount to "taking sides in an international conflict".
"It is therefore appropriate," the telegram said, "to ask mayors who display such flags on their public buildings to cease doing so and, in the event of refusal or non-compliance" to refer those mayors' decisions to administrative courts.
'Courts will decide'
Faure, the Socialist leader, said on Friday that prefects did not have the power to ban such displays.
"The courts will decide if necessary," he said on X.
"An outgoing minister should manage day-to-day affairs, not seek to symbolically oppose the decision taken by the president to recognise a Palestinian state," Faure added, referring to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
France is awaiting the announcement of the new cabinet lineup after Macron last week named his close ally Sébastien Lecornu as the new prime minister to resolve a deepening political crisis.
Several French town halls have had to remove Palestinian flags following court decisions.
In June, a court ordered the mayor of the eastern city of Besançon to remove the Palestinian flag, saying she had "violated the principle of neutrality of public services" by displaying the flag.
The mayor Anne Vignot said at the time she was "shocked" by the ruling.
"Is denouncing a massacre and supporting a starving people under bombardment no longer a cause that unites us under the banner of the Republic?" she said in a statement.
The same month the mayor of the southern city of Nice had to remove Israeli flags from the front of the town hall following a court order.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Macron of pursuing a policy of "appeasement" of the Hamas militants. Macron said Thursday that recognising the Palestinian state would isolate Hamas.
Read moreFrance bears the brunt of Israel’s isolation ire
Several other leaders have announced their intent to formally recognise the Palestinian state during the UN summit.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many French city halls have displayed the Ukrainian flags in a gesture of solidarity.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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