As fighting escalates in the Middle East, there's a controversial decision in North Andover, Massachusetts.
The town approved putting a Palestinian flag on the town common. It's been an ongoing battle in the town for weeks, but Palestinian supporters were able to get what they wanted with the flag going up just after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
However, those supporters said that while they are happy to see this, it's not necessarily a victory.
"Palestine is still under siege. The people in Gaza are still suffering, they are still being bombarded," said Jenna Khayal.
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It's the very reason why Khayal can't call the raising of the Palestinian flag in North Andover Tuesday a victory. But it is an indication to her that the town and state she lives in respects her beliefs — even though those who signed off may not share those beliefs.
"This flag represents its people. It represents the culture. It is not a terrorist flag, and we will not let it be misconstrued that way," she said.
The raising of the flag comes after weeks of back-and-forth after the town decided to hang an Israeli flag days after the Hamas led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
After seeing that flag fly high, Khayal's sister filed a permit asking to raise a Palestinian flag for one month as well.
"As a Jewish community, we are very disappointed," said Rabbi Idan Irelander, Congregation Ahavat Olam.
But it was met with pushback from the Israeli community in town.
"Unfortunately, today the Palestinian flag represents hatred, represents war, represents antisemitism," said Irelander. "The raise of the Israeli flag was obviously in solidarity to an American ally."
In the end, the town ruled to hang the Palestinian flag. Town leaders said, according to the town flag policy at the time, they could not deny the flag even if they disagreed with it because it has to be a "content-neutral decision" on which flag to raise.
"It doesn't mean they necessarily wanted this to happen, but they had to under the law because it is our right," said Khayal.
The flag will stay put until Dec. 7. The town has now updated its flag policy so after that date, only statements of governmental speech can hang from the flagpole.
The city of Boston changed their flag policy the same way after the Supreme Court found it violated First Amendment rights by not flying a Christian group’s flag last year. NBC10 Legal Analyst Michael Coyne has lived in North Andover for most of his adult life:
“The town would have been foolish to not allow this activity because it would have subjected the taxpayers to millions of dollars in potential damages," he told NBC10 Boston.
