ISTANBUL 

France’s Interior Ministry has instructed prefects to prevent the display of Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings on Sept. 22, the day Paris is expected to officially recognize the State of Palestine, local media reported on Friday.

In a telegram sent Thursday, the ministry said the principle of public service neutrality “prohibits such flag displays,” stressing that they would amount to “taking sides in an international conflict,” which falls under the exclusive authority of the state.

The ministry also cited concerns over "importing an ongoing international conflict into the national territory," TF1 Info reported.

It warned of “serious disturbances to public order identified locally.”

Prefects were instructed to intervene against such displays and, in cases of refusal by mayors, to take the matter before administrative courts.

The decision comes after Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure urged municipalities to hoist the Palestinian flag on September 22, when President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to co-chair a UN conference on the two-state solution with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Paris, along with several other countries, is expected to formalize its recognition of the Palestinian state at the meeting in New York, which coincides with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

French courts have in recent months ordered municipalities in Gennevilliers, Mitry-Mory, and Besancon to remove Palestinian flags from town halls after local mayors defied neutrality rules.