French President Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state
Macron said in a post on X 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.″
The French president offered support for Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and frequently speaks out against antisemitism, but he has grown increasingly frustrated about Israel's war in Gaza, especially in recent months.
"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,'' Macron posted. ″Peace is possible.''
He also posted a letter he sent to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the decision.
France is the biggest and most powerful European country to recognize Palestine. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe.
France has Europe's largest Jewish population and the largest Muslim population in western Europe, and fighting in the Middle East often spills over into protests or other tensions in France.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment.
France's foreign minister is co-hosting a conference at the UN next week about a two-state solution. Last month, Macron expressed his 'determination to recognize the state of Palestine,' and he has pushed for a broader movement toward a two-state solution, in parallel with recognition of Israel and its right to defend itself.
Thursday's announcement came soon after the US cut short Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, saying Hamas wasn't showing good faith.
Momentum has been building against Israel in recent days. Earlier this week, France and more than two dozen mostly European countries condemned Israel's restrictions on aid shipments into the territory and the killings of hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food.
The Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem and Gaza, territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel's government and most of its political class have long been opposed to Palestinian statehood and now say that it would reward militants after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Israel annexed east Jerusalem shortly after the 1967 war and considers it part of its capital. In the West Bank, it has built scores of settlements, some resembling sprawling suburbs, that are now home to over 500,000 Jewish settlers with Israeli citizenship. The territory's 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority exercising limited autonomy in population centers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
26 minutes ago
- LeMonde
Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating ceasefire, Phnom Penh denies any firing
Thailand's army accused Cambodia on Tuesday, July 29, of violating an hours-old truce, saying clashes continued despite a deal meant to end the bloody fighting that engulfed their jungle-clad frontier. Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometer border. "At the time the agreement took effect, the Thai side detected that Cambodian forces had launched armed attacks into several areas within Thai territory," said Thai army spokesman Winthai Suwaree. "This constitutes a deliberate violation of the agreement and a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust," he added in a statement. "Thailand is compelled to respond appropriately, exercising its legitimate right to self-defense." Cambodia's defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata insisted there had been "no armed clashes against each other in any regions". However, both sides said morning meetings scheduled between opposing regional commanders along the border as part of the truce pact had either begun or were still scheduled to start. "I saw photos of the two leaders shaking hands," said 32-year-old pharmacy worker Kittisak Sukwilai in the Thai city of Surin – 50 kilometers from the border. "I just hope it's not just a photo op with fake smiles – and that those hands aren't actually preparing to stab each other in the back." In Cambodia's Samraong city – 20 kilometers from the frontier –an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight, with the lull continuing until mid-morning. "The frontline has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Tuesday morning message on Facebook. 'Good faith' Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 38 people since last Thursday and displaced nearly 300,000 more – prompting intervention from US President Donald Trump over the weekend. The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. A joint statement from both countries – and Malaysia, which hosted the peace talks – said the ceasefire was "a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security". A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Monday evening that "he urges both countries to respect the agreement fully and to create an environment conducive to addressing long-standing issues and achieving lasting peace". Both sides are courting Trump for trade deals to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs, and the US State Department said its officials had been "on the ground" to shepherd peace talks. The joint statement said China also had "active participation" in the talks, hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN bloc chair Anwar Ibrahim in his country's administrative capital Putrajaya. Manet thanked Trump for his "decisive" support, while his counterpart, Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, said it should be "carried out in good faith by both sides". Post-truce tariff deals Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace had been canceled amid the strife. Each side had already agreed to a truce in principle, while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts and trading allegations about the use of cluster bombs and targeting of hospitals. Thailand says 11 of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths. More than 138,000 people have fled Thailand's border regions, while around 140,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.
AFP
an hour ago
- AFP
Posts about PNG sending troops to Israel misuse old footage
"PNG is in the 7 allied force the Israelites," reads a caption of a video shared by a Facebook user in Papua New Guinea. It includes a video of soldiers of news organisation at the bottom right corner. Image Screenshot of the false post, taken on July 24 with a red X added by AFP The post, which includes the hashtags "#iranisraelconflict" and "#warzone", has been viewed over 130,000 times and shared more than 500 times. It also circulated on TikTok. Israel launched an unprecedented surprise bombing campaign against Iran on June 13, prompting Tehran to respond with drone and missile attacks. A ceasefire between the long-time foes has been in effect since June 24 (archived link). While some Facebook users expressed scepticism over the video, a few appeared to believe the false claim. One user criticised the supposed move as "inviting disaster to a country with no superpower at all". Another said they could "smell WW3... just around the corner". James Marape has said his country "continues to stand with Israel" when asked about the conflict with Iran in late June (archived link). But posts about troop deployment to the Middle East are false, according to any conflict region like in the Middle East, Europe or elsewhere". k , four weeks before the Iran-Israel war erupted (archived link). The report was about a month-long military exercise called the North Queensland Warfighter (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison between false post (L) and 7News report - which included troops from Papua New Guinea, Japan, Malaysia and the United States -- were also featured on the Australian Army's official YouTube page (archived link). The Israeli army did not take part in the exercises, Australia's Department of Defence told AFP. AFP has fact-checked other false claims related to the Iran-Israel war here.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Lead MEP says EU should skip 2040 emissions targets
The EU's 2040 emission reduction target is 'simply not necessary' and should be rejected, the Czech MEP responsible for steering the proposal through the Parliament has told Euronews in an interview. Ondrej Knotek is a member of the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group and was appointed as rapporteur to steer through the Parliament a Climate Law amendment setting the 2040 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commission formally proposed a 90% carbon emissions reduction target by 2040 in an amendment to its Climate Law earlier in July, as a pathway to achieving zero emissions by 2050. Knotek said that when drafting the Parliament's position on the file in the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI), he will push to reject the Commission's proposal entirely, without proposing any alternative emissions reduction target. 'The 2040 target is an addition to the two existing targets, that is simply not necessary,' he said, referring to the EU's final goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and the intermediate target of a 55% reduction by 2030. Knotek believes the EU has already done much more than its global competitors to combat global warming, and argues that the risks for the European economy and citizens are 'much higher' than the potential contributions to global climate change mitigation. 'Let's wait for the others to have the same two legally binding targets, let's wait for the others to have this third target, and then we can accompany. No one says that Europe needs to be the flagship,' he said. Beyond the 2040 target, Knotek also challenges the entire Green Deal, the EU's long-term plan to reach climate neutrality by 2050. 'The target as such looked realistic in 2020, but now, after five years, we know that very probably it is not so much realistic,' he said, calling for a 'strong recalibration' of the EU's commitments. 'The correct reaction to the climate change is to reduce the emissions in a sustainable, and even slow way [...] We don't have to invest into faster reduction of emissions, but into the so-called adaptation to the climate change. The role of adaptation should be much higher than the reduction of greenhouse gases.' A clash foreseen on the Climate Law Ondrej Knotek will be supported by his political group, PfE, which strongly opposes EU climate action, and likely by other right-wing parties in Parliament. But dismantling this signature EU climate policy will not be an easy task. Knotek's appointment, which results from a complex allotment system giving large groups control over important files, has already triggered backlash from leftist and centrist members of Parliament. Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA, and The Left will advocate for maintaining the 2040 target. Therefore, the Parliament's position on the file will depend on the choice of the largest group, the European People's Party (EPP). 'EPP MEPs are split on this issue. I am convinced that if they are left to vote freely, the majority of them would be against the 2040 target,' Knotek said. The Czech MEP believes his EPP colleagues will follow the direction of their leader, Manfred Weber. 'In the EPP, if you do not follow the line, you are sidelined and do not get any missions. So, if there would be a secret vote, they could distract, otherwise they stick to the line.' Knotek's report will be voted in the ENVI committee on September 23. Others MEPs from the same committee have until September 8 to add amendments. Parliament's plenary session has then to confirm the outcome in the second week of October. After the vote in Parliament, however, the provision must be negotiated with the EU's 27 member states, which are set to adopt a common position in the Council. Some including France and Poland have already expressed scepticism about the proposal. The timing of negotiations is sensitive, as the Commission hoped to have the 2040 target enshrined in law ahead of the COP30 international climate conference in Brazil, which takes place in November.
