French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France will officially recognise the State of Palestine, a move he plans to formalise at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The announcement, made in a post on X, comes amid mounting international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped and starving under Israeli bombardment.
“The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,” Macron said. “Peace is possible.”
“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine,” Macron declared, calling it a step “in line with the will of the French people.”
Macron outlined a multi-pronged vision: an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, a surge in humanitarian aid, and ultimately, a two-state solution that includes a demilitarised Palestine and secure borders for Israel.
“There is no alternative,” Macron added. “It is up to us, the French, together with the Israelis, the Palestinians, and our European and international partners, to demonstrate that peace is possible.”
NETANYAHU BLASTS MACRON OVER PALESTINE DECISION
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bluntly rejected France’s decision, calling it dangerous and misguided. “Recognizing a Palestinian state after the October 7 massacre rewards terror,” he said. Netanyahu warned that such a state could become “another Iranian proxy,” and insisted, “The Palestinians do not seek peace alongside Israel — they seek its destruction.”
PALESTINIAN LEADERS PRAISE FRANCE’S MOVE
While the Palestinian Authority welcomed Macron’s announcement. A formal letter was presented to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem. Hussein Al Sheikh, vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation under Abbas, expressed gratitude, saying, “We express our thanks and appreciation to Macron. This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination.”
For decades, Palestinians have sought to create an independent state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and Gaza — areas Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war. Israel’s government and most of its political class have long been opposed to Palestinian statehood.
OVER 140 COUNTRIES NOW RECOGNISE PALESTINIAN STATE
France is the biggest and most powerful European country to recognise Palestine. More than 140 countries recognise a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe.
France has Europe’s largest Jewish population and the largest Muslim population in Western Europe, and fighting in the Middle East often spills over into protests or other tensions in France.
Thursday’s announcement came soon after the US cut short Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, saying Hamas wasn’t showing good faith. Momentum has been building against Israel in recent days. Earlier this week, France and more than two dozen mostly European countries condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid shipments into the territory and the killings of hundreds of Palestinians trying to find food.
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With inputs from Agencies