France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron has said in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan has drawn angry rebukes from Israel and the United States.
Mr Macron, who unveiled the decision on social media, 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 recognise the state of Palestine,” Mr Macron said.
“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”
Fidèle à son engagement historique pour une paix juste et durable au Proche-Orient, j’ai décidé que la France reconnaîtra l’État de Palestine.
J’en ferai l’annonce solennelle à l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies, au mois de septembre prochain.
Home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state.
The news sparked anger in Israel and Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
In a post on X, he added: “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it.
We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.
A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a…
“Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”
Israeli Defence 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 response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “strongly rejects (Macron’s) plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly.”
In a post on X, he 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 said its plan to formally recognise a Palestinian state runs counter to the stance held by Hamas.
“Hamas has always ruled out a two-state solution. By recognising Palestine, France goes against that terrorist organisation,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on X.
Britain supports future Palestinian statehood – minister
Meanwhile, a British cabinet minister has said Britain supports the eventual recognition of a Palestinian state, but the immediate priority should be alleviating the suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Successive British governments have said they would formally recognise a Palestinian state at the right time, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the conditions for it to happen.
“We want Palestinian statehood, we desire it, and we want to make sure the circumstances can exist where that kind of long-term political solution can have the space to evolve,” British science and technology minister Peter Kyle told Sky News.
“But right now, today, we’ve got to focus on what will ease the suffering, and it is extreme, unwarranted suffering in Gaza that has to be the priority for us today.
“In a statement on Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said statehood was the “inalienable right of the Palestinian people”, reiterating his call for a ceasefire as a necessary step towards achieving a two-state solution.
A Palestinian mother carries her sick 18-month-old son who is also displaying signs of malnutrition inside their tent at the Al-Shati refugee camp
Earlier, Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its “failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza” and reiterating support for a two-state solution.
Mr 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,” he added.
“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.”
In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against US foreign policy interests and draw consequences.
In June, Washington’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a US foreign policy goal.
President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a US takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the UN as a proposal of “ethnic cleansing”.
The French flag and the Palestinian flag at a rally for Palestine in Paris, France
Mr 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 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 the closure of regional airspace made it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend.
It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on 28-29 July, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
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 that are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or have misgivings in doing so.
Read the latest stories from the Middle East
Diplomats say Mr Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. About 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week.
Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have called “a nuclear bomb” for bilateral ties.
Sources familiar with the matter say 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 recognising 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 Mr 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.”
