French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France would soon recognize a Palestinian state.
The French leader made the announcement via social media, saying the recognition would be formalized in the next two months at a United Nations meeting.
“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 wrote. “I will make the solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”
“The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population,” he continued. “Peace is possible.”
Macron also called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, the demilitarization of the terrorist group, and a global effort to bring humanitarian aid to the hunger-ravaged Gaza Strip.
His post included pictures of a letter he penned to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas explaining his decision.
Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli offered his “response to [Macron’s] recognition of a Palestinian state” on X — a short clip of the French president being pushed in the face by his wife before disembarking a plane.
That video went viral in May, sparking widespread speculation about the relationship between France’s first couple.
France would be the most politically important nation in Europe to recognize a Palestinian state, escalating international pressure on Israel to abandon its military operations in Gaza.
Spain, Norway, and Ireland announced the recognition of a Palestinian state in simultaneous decisions in May 2024.
Macron has long voiced support for Gaza and the broader Palestinian Territories, claiming in a highly publicized May speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that refusing to hold Israel accountable for civilian casualties in the region would undermine the West’s credibility.
ISRAEL’S GAZA AID EFFORT HAS TURNED INTO A DEADLY SCRAMBLE FOR FOOD
“If we abandon Gaza, if we consider there is a free pass for Israel, even if we do condemn the terrorist attacks, we kill our own credibility in the rest of the world,” Macron said to an audience that included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “And this is why I think this is very important, in our current environment, to be consistent and to follow our principles, our rules, and to consider what is at stake is clearly the global order — and clearly what is at stake is our credibility to protect this global order.”
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded directly to Macron’s announcement.
