Paris bans Palestinian flags ahead of Israel vs. France match

France has banned football fans from bringing Palestinian flags to the France-Israel match on Thursday, citing concerns over a repeat of last week’s violence in Amsterdam after Maccabi Tel Aviv fans harassed locals.

“Only French and Israeli flags and messages supporting the teams will be allowed. Stadiums are no place for political messages – it’s the law,” Paris prefect Laurent Nunez told French media.

Security at the Stade de France will involve two rounds of security checks and ID verification for fans around the stadium in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris.

Those who refuse the checks will be denied entry. 

Plain-clothes police officers will patrol the stadium throughout the match, and the stands closest to the field will remain empty.  

A special police unit, RAID, will ensure the safety of the Israeli football players, although Israeli authorities had advised their citizens to avoid attending the match.

Local media reports indicate that French President Emmanuel Macron plans to attend the game, which comes amid Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza.  

The conflict has resulted in over 43,000 deaths and nearly 103,000 injuries, with the majority of casualties being women and children. 

There is growing anger directed at the French Football Federation (FFF) for approving the match scheduled for 14 November.

Last week, pro-Palestine supporters held a large demonstration calling for the FFF to cancel the match with Israel.  

The FFF’s headquarters was decorated with Palestinian flags and placards, with messages such as “No to the France-Israel match at Stade de France,” “Champions League of Genocide,” and “FFF, Ban Israel”.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced that the scheduled France-Israel game would not be relocated, despite calls to follow the example of the October game, which was played in Budapest. 

Last week, tensions escalated in the Dutch capital during Maccabi Tel Aviv’s heavy defeat to Ajax.  

Reports from Dutch locals and police revealed that Maccabi fans tore down Palestinian flags from private property, threatened locals, and threw projectiles at passersby.  

Fans were also filmed chanting racist slogans against Arabs and Palestinians, prompting a response from locals, including members of the Arab and Muslim community, which resulted in injuries to dozens of Maccabi fans.

While eyewitness accounts point to provocations by Maccabi fans, some Western media outlets and politicians have labelled the incidents as an “antisemitic pogrom”, in line with the Israeli narrative.

France’s latest decision also follows the display of a large “Free Palestine” banner by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans last Wednesday before their UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.