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French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will formally recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly this September, triggering sharp criticism from the United States and Israel, while drawing praise from several European and Arab nations.
“In light of your commitments, France will fully recognize Palestine as a State when I go to the United Nations General Assembly in September,” Macron said in a public letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“France will make a decisive contribution to peace in the Middle East and mobilize its international partners that wish to take part,” he added.
The United States harshly rejected Macron’s move, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio writing on X: “The United States strongly rejects Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly. This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Macron’s decision “rewards terror” and risks creating “another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee mocked the announcement, posting on X: “Macron's unilateral ‘declaration’ of a ‘Palestinian’ state didn't say WHERE it would be. I can now exclusively disclose that France will offer the French Riviera & the new nation will be called ‘Franc-en-Stine.'"
European leaders welcomed Macron’s announcement as a bold step toward peace.
“I welcome the announcement by President Macron that France will recognise Palestine in September,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said. “This is an important contribution towards implementing the two-state solution.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also praised the decision: “Together, we must protect what Netanyahu is trying to destroy. The two-state solution is the only solution.”
Scottish First Minister John Swinney urged the U.K. to follow France’s lead.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait welcomed Macron’s pledge as a boost for Palestinian self-determination and regional peace.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry called the move “a significant step in support of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights.”
Riyadh described it as “a historic decision” and urged other nations to follow suit.
Kuwait emphasized alignment with U.N. Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry labeled the move “historic” and urged other countries to recognize Palestine and attend the September U.N. conference.
Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, welcomed the announcement, calling it “a positive step in the right direction” and a reflection of “growing international conviction in the justice of the Palestinian cause.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy is not ready to recognize Palestine unless it comes with reciprocal recognition of Israel.
“We are in favor of the two-state solution, but recognition must happen simultaneously,” he said.
Opposition figure Giuseppe Provenzano of the Democratic Party (PD) slammed Tajani’s stance as misleading, noting that Palestine recognized Israel in 1993.
“It is Israel that must recognize Palestine, ending the illegal occupation,” Provenzano added. “Waiting for Netanyahu means waiting forever.”
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip has killed over 59,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The assault has collapsed the health care system and triggered severe food shortages.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last year for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel also faces genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
France’s move would make it the first G7 country to formally recognize Palestine. Currently, 149 out of 193 U.N. member states have done so.
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