The mayor of Providence, Brett Smiley, is issuing new rules for which flags can be flown over city hall after the city council flew a Palestinian flag.

Mr. Smiley, a Democrat, issued an executive order that states that flags flown over city hall will serve as “an expression of the city’s official sentiments.” 

It limits what types of flags can be flown to only those of governments recognized by America. The order requires that they be “displayed by proclamation of the mayor or by resolution and passed by the Providence City Council for a period of no more than 24 hours unless outlined in the proclamation.”

The order also states that “other flags” may be displayed for official city events or ceremonies for up to 24 hours.

The new flag policy comes after the Providence city council president, Rachel Miller, requested that the Palestinian flag be flown. The decision was made on behalf of some council members, but she was criticized for not speaking to the whole body before asking for the flag to be displayed. 

Mr. Smiley, who converted to Judaism last year, had just returned from a trip to Israel when he learned of the request to fly the Palestinian flag. 

He told local TV station WPRI that “my office does not have the authority to prevent a separate, independent branch of government from expressing their differing political and cultural views.” However, he said there should be “no doubt” about where he stands on Israel. 

After the flag-raising, which drew protests from pro-Israel demonstrators, the mayor said the incident brought awareness to the absence of policy governing what flags can be flown. 

Mr. Smiley told WPRI, “It just had never been an issue before. It had never come up.” He added that the policy will “hopefully avoid any future conflicts.”

However, one of the council members who led the Palestinian flag raising, Miguel Sanchez, told WPRI the mayor is “ranking human life” because the city “didn’t need a policy after the Irish flag, the Italian flag, or the Israeli flag.”

“We fly the Palestinian flag, and all of a sudden we need a policy,” he said.