France will officially recognize Palestinian state in September, Macron says

Ya Libnan

a day ago

File:
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) greets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, AFP PHOTO / Martin BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)
France will officially recognize a Palestinian state in September, President Emmanuel Macron has said, which will make it the first G7 nation to do so.
In a post on X, Macron said the formal announcement would be made at a session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
'The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,' he wrote.
Palestinian officials welcomed Macron's decision, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move 'rewards terror' following Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack in Israel.
The US 'strongly rejects' Macron's announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, calling the decision 'reckless'.
The US has no policy of its own in the Middle East and has been for decades adopting Israeli policies in dealing with the Palestinian statehood issue, analysts say.
The G7 is a group of major industrialised nations, which alongside France includes the US, the UK, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan.
In his Thursday post on X, Macron wrote: '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.
'We must also guarantee the demilitarisation of Hamas, and secure and rebuild Gaza.
'Finally, we must build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative.'
Macron also attached a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming his decision.
Responding to Macron's announcement, Abbas' deputy Hussein al-Sheikh said, 'This position reflects 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', according to the AFP news agency.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu wrote in a post on X: 'We strongly condemn President Macron's decision to recognise a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the 7 October massacre.
'A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it. Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,' Netanyahu added.
Hamas said France's decision was a 'positive step in the right direction' and urged all countries of the world 'to follow France's lead'.
Currently, the State of Palestine is recognised by 147 of the 193 member states of the UN.
A few European Union countries, including Spain and Ireland, are among them.
But Israel's main supporter, the US, and its allies including the UK have not recognised a Palestinian state yet.
UK
In a statement on Thursday
, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he will hold an 'emergency call' with French and German leaders on Friday to discuss 'what we can do urgently to stop the killing'.
Statehood is an 'inalienable right of the Palestinian people', Sir Keir said, adding that a ceasefire would 'put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution'.
Sir Keir's statement came as he faces growing pressure,
including from his own MPs
, for the UK to follow France's lead.
On Friday, a majority of MPs on the foreign affairs committee, which scrutinises UK foreign policy, called for the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine, adding it should make the move 'while there is still a state to recognise'.
'An inalienable right should not be made conditional,' a committee report said.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry praised France's decision, saying it 'reaffirms the international community's consensus on the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state'.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,139 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Nearly 60,000 people and mostly civilian women and children have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble since then.
Earlier on Thursday,
the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) said that one in five children in Gaza City was now malnourished
and cases were increasing every day.
More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups have also warned of mass starvation in the Gaza Strip – pressing for governments to take action.
Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into the Palestinian territory, has repeatedly said that there is no siege, blaming Hamas for any cases of malnutrition.
Canada
NDP calls on Canada to recognize the State of Palestine
NDP critic for Foreign Affairs Heather McPherson issued the following statement:
'New Democrats commend French President Emmanuel Macron for the correct political and moral choice to recognize the State of Palestine, and we urge Prime Minister Mark Carney to do the same today.
As the people of Palestine endure genocide, starvation, occupation, home demolitions, and ongoing violence, and as they struggle to survive amid the inaction of the international community, it is long past time for Canada to show moral courage and uphold international law. Humanitarian aid continues to be denied entry by Israel into Gaza. Canada must intervene and use every tool available to lift this inhumane siege that is starving Palestinians, journalists and humanitarian workers in Gaza.
Japan
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa says her country is considering plans to formally recognize the State of Palestine
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has stated that Japan is considering formally recognizing the State of Palestine, contingent on the progress of the ongoing 'peace process' in the Middle East.
During a meeting in Tokyo on July 17, the 71-year-old Japanese politician stated that her government supports the proposed 'two-state solution' to the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestine. She expressed that Japan understands the Palestinians' aspiration to establish an independent sovereign state and supports the ongoing efforts to achieve this goal.