Macron announces recognition of Palestine, and Israel accuses him of "rewarding terror."
The decision, which has also outraged the United States, will be presented to the United Nations General Assembly in September.
BarcelonaFrench President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will recognize the State of Palestine. As he explained in a letter addressed to the President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas, Paris will make this decision a reality this September before the United Nations General Assembly. The decision had been made some time ago and was to have been announced at the UN summit that was to host France and Saudi Arabia, but was canceled due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Now, the head of state is going a step further and verbalizing Paris's commitment to a peace process that, in his opinion, can only involve a two-state solution.
Macron announced the decision on the social network X. "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make this solemn announcement to the United Nations General Assembly this September. The civil urgency," he wrote.
"An immediate ceasefire is needed, along with the release of all hostages and massive humanitarian aid for the population of Gaza. It is also necessary to ensure the demilitarization of Hamas, to secure and rebuild Gaza. The Middle East," something for which, he affirmed, "there is no alternative." To conclude the letter, the president called on the rest of the European leaders: "The French want peace in the Middle East. It is up to us, the French, together with Israelis, Palestinians, our European and international partners, to demonstrate that it is possible. In response to the commitments that the Palestinian Authority's letter lent you. Trust, clarity, and commitment. We will win peace."
Nearly 150 countries recognize the State of Palestine. In May 2024, Spain, Ireland, and Norway formalized this recognition, bringing to ten the number of members of the European Union that have recognized the Palestinian state.
Macron had mentioned the possibility of French recognition of Palestine on several occasions in recent months. For example, upon returning from a trip to Egypt last April, the French leader announced that his country could recognize a Palestinian state "in June" on the occasion of the aforementioned conference he was to co-chair with Saudi Arabia in New York.
Macron's announcement comes at a time when Israel is facing growing international pressure to end the suffering of the more than two million inhabitants of the Palestinian territory, subjected to a blockade that deprives them of vital humanitarian aid and has driven a large part of the population to the most horrific hunger. The United Nations declared this Thursday that the civilians of Gaza are "walking corpses" and denounced that Tel Aviv is blocking access to the equivalent of 6,000 trucks full of humanitarian aid.
Reactions on both sides were swift, starting with that of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who flatly rejected Macron's decision and accused him of "rewarding terror." "A Palestinian state under these conditions would be a launching pad for the annihilation of Israel, not a place to live in peace with it," he denounced on the social network X. "Let's be clear: the Palestinians are not seeking a state with Israel; they are seeking a state in place of Israel," he declared. As expected, the United States also opposed the recognition of Palestine, an "irresponsible" decision, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "It only serves Hamas propaganda and represents a step backwards for peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7," he wrote on his X profile.
Hamas sees a "breakthrough" for the Palestinian cause
Hamas, in turn, applauded the French move, calling it a "positive step in the right direction toward achieving justice for our oppressed Palestinian people." For Hamas, Paris's position represents "a political breakthrough that reflects the growing international conviction about the justice of the Palestinian cause and the failure of the occupation to distort the facts or hinder the will of free peoples." The Islamist movement, however, has taken the opportunity to call on all countries around the world to also recognize the Palestinian state. One of those that has already done so is Spain, which welcomed Macron's decision. "Together, we must protect what Netanyahu is trying to destroy," defended Spanish President Pedro Sánchez at the 10th meeting, where he emphasized the "two-state solution."
