Overview

• The Interior Ministry instructed prefects on Friday to oppose Palestinian flags on municipal buildings on September 22 and to refer any refusals to administrative courts, citing public‑service neutrality and a prohibited taking of sides in an international conflict.
• Socialist leader Olivier Faure urged mayors to raise the flag that day, and the mayors of Nantes and Saint‑Denis have said they intend to do so despite the state’s guidance.
• The telegram warns of risks of importing a foreign conflict and of locally identified public‑order concerns, referencing recent rulings that forced removals of such flags in cities including Gennevilliers and Besançon.
• France is scheduled to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the UN on September 22, positioning it to be the first G7 country and first Western permanent Security Council member to do so, with reports that other governments may follow.
• In an interview to Israeli TV on Thursday, Macron argued Israel is “destroying totally” its image through the Gaza war and defended recognition as the best way to isolate Hamas, drawing criticism from Israeli leaders.