Columbia hoists flag for Israel at City Hall. The move wasn’t voted on
The city of Columbia Tuesday raised a blue-and-white flag in front of City Hall reading “We stand with Israel.”
The statement, which comes amid a deadly conflict in Gaza in which a United Nations commission determined Israel has committed acts of genocide, garnered mixed opinions. Some residents thanked Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, who posted a picture of the flag on Facebook Tuesday morning. Others condemned the move, and at least one person asked why the city would weigh in at all.
But the decision to raise the flag wasn’t approved by the whole of Columbia City Council. In a statement shared with The State, Rickenmann confirmed that the decision to fly the flag was his:
“There should be no shame in condemning Hamas, and standing with our Jewish community, who has a deep history in Columbia, and continues to play a vital role in our city,” that statement read in part.
It appears there was no formal procedure followed before the flag was raised on the front of a prominent government building that pays no taxes and houses numerous city employees as well as the city council’s meeting chambers.
Columbia City Council, of which the mayor is just one of seven votes, never discussed or voted on the decision to fly the flag. Columbia’s form of government puts the city manager in charge of city operations and doesn’t give the mayor any additional authority beyond that of the rest of the council.
One city council member confirmed that he saw the flag only after Rickenmann posted his statement online.
Rickenmann Tuesday morning shared a picture of the flag on Facebook, with the following caption:
“Today, we’re flying the flag to honor the lives lost on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas invasion of southern Israel.
“Two years later, we remember the victims and stand with the Jewish community while reaffirming our commitment to peace. Here in Columbia, we’re committed to standing against hate for all. As a city, we stand together against hatred, recognizing that our strength comes from our compassion, diversity, and shared commitment to peace and understanding.”
Rickenmann visited Israel last year with the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Questions about approving flags
At least one city council member has asked some questions about the mayor’s decision.
In an email from Councilman Tyler Bailey to the rest of council, Bailey raised the question of whether the city should establish a policy around flying flags with potentially political messages outside of City Hall.
“I have been asked if this was a matter that was voted on. It may appear that way from the outside looking in,” that email reads. He continues, “There are a lot of flags that some may view as political in nature that groups would like to see flown at City Hall. As a council, we have discussed staying away from State issues, and issues that may be considered political in nature.”
That email also states, “I believe it may be prudent for us to consider a policy concerning the flying of flags outside of the American, State and City flags on city property.”
Rickenmann’s Facebook post had received over 140 comments as of Thursday morning. Many people thanked the mayor for his post, and many others promised to vote him out of office and posted links supporting Jessica Thomas, one of Rickenmann’s opponents in the upcoming mayoral election on Nov. 4.
Thomas also issued a statement denouncing the mayor’s post, writing on Facebook, “No flag should fly over our City Hall that divides our people. The audacity of this, when our city is filled with Arabs, Muslims, and Jewish residents who do not support what’s happening in Gaza, to ignore the international courts, the global community, and the lessons of history, by flying the flag of a state under investigation for war crimes.”
On Oct. 7, 2023, the militant Palestinian group Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages during an attack on a music festival in southern Israel. Hamas still has dozens of those hostages. Israel believes the group has 20 living hostages and the bodies of 25 dead hostages. In the two years since the Hamas attack, Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and a United Nations commission has found that Israel did and continues to commit acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has bombed hospitals, refugee camps, and schools, according to journalists, doctors and human rights groups working in and around the Gaza Strip. In the last two years, Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, estimates 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, at least 20,000 of them children.
The United States government considers Hamas a terrorist organization, and has held that designation for decades.
Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump announced Hamas and the Israel government had agreed to a cease fire.
The conflict in Gaza has led to sweeping protests, censures and heated debates across the world, including the U.S. There has been a rise in anti-Islam and anti-Jewish discrimination and attacks across the U.S. since the conflict in Gaza began, according to data tracked by organizations for both groups.
Students and professionals in the U.S. who have voiced support for Palestine have in several cases been fired, suspended and expelled for those opinions. Organizations in support of Israel’s actions say the country has a right to defend itself.
Rickenmann’s full statement about flying the flag:
“I, Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, chose to fly the flag outside to show support for the State of Israel, our democratic ally in the Middle East, and recognize the horrors and lives lost on October 7, 2023, in the attacks by the Hamas terrorist group. After visiting both the Gaza Strip and Israel in 2024, witnessing the aftermath of violence and visiting with survivors, I remain a supporter of ensuring all hostages are released and standing unapologetically against hate and discrimination for all. There should be no shame in condemning Hamas, and standing with our Jewish community, who has a deep history in Columbia, and continues to play a vital role in our city. Hamas also stands in the way of the aspirations of the Palestinian people to self-determination. I hope the return of all the hostages and an end to the war will pave a pathway to peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 8:51 AM.
