French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced that France will recognize Palestine as a state, marking a significant diplomatic move amid growing global outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Macron made the announcement in a post on X, stating that he will formalize the decision at the United Nations General Assembly in September. “The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,'' he wrote.
The largely symbolic step is expected to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel as its military offensive in the Gaza Strip continues. France has now become the most influential Western nation to recognize Palestine, a move that could encourage others to follow suit. Over 140 countries worldwide, including more than a dozen European nations, currently recognize a Palestinian state.
Palestinians are seeking an independent state comprising the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem, and Gaza—territories that Israel seized during the 1967 Middle East war. However, Israel’s government and much of its political establishment remain firmly opposed to Palestinian statehood, especially following Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023.
“We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision,'' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it.''
The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, welcomed France’s decision. A formal letter was handed over to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem on Thursday.
“We express our thanks and appreciation'' to Macron, said Hussein Al Sheikh, the PLO’s vice president under Abbas, in a post. “This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination.''
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However, the United States has strongly opposed Macron's announcement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a post on X, said, “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th."
France is home to both the largest Jewish and the largest Muslim populations in Western Europe and has often experienced domestic tensions related to the Middle East conflict.
Macron, who initially expressed strong support for Israel following the Hamas attack, has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
″Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine,'' he posted. ″Peace is possible.''
His announcement follows the U.S. withdrawal from Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, citing a lack of good faith from Hamas. It also precedes a U.N. conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia next week focused on a two-state solution.
Last month, Macron reiterated his determination to recognize the state of Palestine and has advocated for advancing a two-state solution in parallel with recognition of Israel and its right to self-defense.
This week, momentum has been building internationally against Israel’s actions. France, along with over two dozen mostly European nations, condemned Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid and the deaths of Palestinians trying to access food.
Macron is expected to join the leaders of Britain and Germany on Friday for emergency talks on the Gaza situation, focusing on aid delivery and ending the conflict.
“We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis,'' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement announcing the call. “The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible.''
Israel annexed east Jerusalem after the 1967 war and considers it part of its capital. It has also established numerous settlements in the West Bank, now housing over 500,000 Jewish settlers, while about 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military control, with limited autonomy granted to the Palestinian Authority.
Formal peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians last broke down in 2009, when Netanyahu returned to power. Most of the global community still views the creation of a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel as the only workable resolution to the decades-old conflict.