French Lawmaker Suspended for Waving Palestinian Flag in Parliament

Sebastien Delogu, a member of parliament for the France Unbowed (LFI) party from Marseille, was suspended by the parliament on Tuesday.

Delogu stood up with the Palestinian flag during questions to the government.

Parliament speaker Yael Braun-Pivet called it unacceptable behavior, and lawmakers voted to suspend Delogu for two weeks and cut his parliamentary allowance by half for two months.

Delogu made a V-sign for victory and left the lower chamber as some other French lawmakers celebrated his suspension.

His suspension came on the same day Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognized a Palestinian state, deepening Israel’s international isolation.

In a coordinated effort to pressure Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza, the three Western European nations joined dozens of countries that have already recognized Palestinian statehood.

The joint declaration was announced the previous week, marking these nations as the first major Western powers to officially recognize Palestine.

This brings the total to 145 out of 193 UN member states that have recognized a Palestinian state.

However, no member of the Group of Seven industrial powers, including France, Britain, and the United States, has done so.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in February that recognizing a Palestinian state was no longer "taboo."

On Tuesday, he clarified those comments, stating, "I am totally prepared to recognize a Palestinian state but this recognition must come at a useful moment."

"I will not do a recognition based on emotion," he added.

Meanwhile, a group of deputies from Italy's Five Star Movement showed Palestinian and peace flags during a discussion on the Middle East crisis in the Chamber of Deputies, where the movement also requested that the Italian government recognize the State of Palestine.

"We should never be afraid to recognize a community's right to rally around a flag," said Riccardo Ricciardi, an MP from the Five Star Movement.

The Palestinian flag flew outside the Irish parliament building in Dublin on Tuesday as Ireland formally recognized Palestinian statehood, a move also carried out by Spain and Norway.

The Irish government stated it agreed to establish full democratic relations between Dublin and Ramallah.

Israel's military campaign in Gaza began in early October and has driven nearly 80 percent of the population of 2.3 million from their homes.

Israel’s barbaric campaign in Gaza began in early October. It has now driven virtually 80 percent of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 36,050 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza.