The mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, has granted honorary citizenship of the city to the civilians of Gaza and the West Bank, as well as to Palestinian journalists.
Gregoire stated his intention to do so in May, and the move was confirmed on Thursday following the Paris Council meeting. The proposal received overarching support from the left-wing bloc and significant opposition from the Right. Nevertheless, it won by an overall majority of 107-41 with 3 abstentions.
To mark the granting of citizenship, Gregoire hosted the Ambassador of Palestine and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Jordan for a ceremony.
“The honorary citizenship of Paris is not a symbol; it is a commitment,” he said following the ceremony. “To the civilians of Gaza and the West Bank, to the families, to the children, to the doctors who treat the wounds of war, to the teachers who hold classes amid the rubble, to the journalists who seek to report on this deadly conflict: Paris tells you that you are honorary citizens of our city.”
“When states fall silent, cities can remain guardians of principles. Today, Paris reaffirms that every human life is sacred,” he stated.
Gregoire previously spoke of how he felt it was his duty to speak up for Palestinians, as he does for all those suffering.
“As we did for Kyiv and Nagorno-Karabakh, Paris stands for the rights and voices of those who are suffering while defending peace, international law, and the two-state solution,” he explained.
The official announcement on the Paris City website noted that honorary citizenship was granted to Israeli hostages held by Hamas in February 2024. It also noted that Palestinian and Israeli flags were projected onto the Eiffel Tower following France’s recognition of the state of Palestine in September 2025.
For more than 20 years, the City of Paris has awarded honorary citizenship to people who are “threatened, imprisoned, or prosecuted because they defend human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
