Infuriating Netanyahu, France’s Macron says to recognize Palestinian state

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'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,' says French President Emmanuel Macron

France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, July 24, adding that he hoped it would help bring peace to the region, but drawing an immediate rebuke from Israel.

Macron, who announced the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convincing other partners to follow suit.

“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,” Macron said.

“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”

France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, will become the first major Western country to recognize a Palestinian state, potentially giving greater momentum to a movement so far dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel.

The announcement sparked anger from Israel and is likely to get a tough response from Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Macron’s decision saying that such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”

“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a post on X.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the move as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism,” adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.”

In a statement on X on Thursday, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney also pressed Israel to seek peace, condemning the “Israeli government’s failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza” and reiterating Canada’s support for a two-state solution in the region.

Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

“Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith. We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza,” the prime minister said.

In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed any steps that would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state even saying it could go against US foreign policy interests and draw consequences.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive despite the pressure not to do so.

French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel’s security.

The conference was postponed under US pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which regional airspace was closed, making it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend.

It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28-29 with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Creating momentum

The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week’s conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries who are also considering recognizing a Palestinian state or still have misgivings in doing so.

Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Some 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week.

Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have described as “a nuclear bomb” for bilateral relations.

The idea that France, one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, could recognize a Palestinian state, would certainly infuriate Netanyahu.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Israel’s warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris’ regional initiatives — even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognizing a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas.

Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority’s Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron’s decision reflected “France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state.” – Rappler.com