Israeli fans to be allowed to fly flags in soccer stadium but not outside — ministry

Israel’s Foreign Ministry says that after protesting to French authorities about a ban on Israeli soccer fans flying the Jewish state’s flag, Paris has clarified that the restrictions are in force throughout the city but not inside the stadium during the match.

“The Israeli Embassy in Paris protested about the flag which is meant to symbolize the liberty and fraternity between the teams — two values of the French Republic that are now denied from Maccabi Haifa supporters,” the ministry says in a statement.

“From conversations the embassy had, it has been clarified that the orders, which ban gatherings of fans of both teams during the days throughout the city, including the waving of flags, were published by the governor of Strasbourg due to security and public order considerations and are in force only in plaza and roads and not in the soccer stadium itself.”