France to become first G7 nation to recognise Palestine as a state
The French president announced the major change of policy in a letter to the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, which Mr Macron also published online on Thursday evening.
The French leader said he will make the formal announcement at the UN General Assembly, being held in September.
France will become the first G7 member to recognise a Palestinian state.
In his post explaining the decision, Mr Macron called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of the hostages and for much more humanitarian aid to reach those in the territory.
But Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned Mr Macron for this, and said that it "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy".
In a post on X on Thursday evening, Mr Netanyahu added that a "Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel - not to live in peace beside it".
He warned:"Let's be clear: The Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel."
But despite the condemnation from Israel, the move heaps pressure on France's allies such as the UK, and Sir Keir Starmer insisted tonight that he is "clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people".
However, the prime minister has resisted calls from within his own party to recognise Palestine immediately, as he believes this should come after a ceasefire is agreed, as part of the peace process in Gaza.
"A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis," he said.
Currently, half of the G20 recognise Palestine as a state, while nations including the UK, US, and Germany do not.
But pressure has been growing on Sir Keir to change course, with senior Labour figures including the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, publicly calling for a change in government policy.
Starmer: 'We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe'
Just hours before Mr Macron's announcement, Sir Keir said he would be holding an "emergency call" with the leaders of France and Germany over what he termed the "humanitarian catastrophe" happening in Gaza.
In some of the firmest language from the government yet, Sir Keir said that "the suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible".
He went on to say that it has been "grave for some time", but that it has now "reached new depths and continues to worsen".
Sir Keir said: "I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace."
The PM added that "we all agree" on the need for Israel to "change course and allow aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay".
He wrote: "It is hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times. But I must reiterate my call for all sides to engage in good faith, and at pace, to bring about an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages."
Mr Macron pressed for recognition of Palestinian statehood in a recent address to the UK's Parliament earlier this month, where he said it was the "only path to peace".
Across the globe, more than 140 countries recognise Palestine as a state.
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The Hill
22 minutes ago
- The Hill
These key US allies are set to recognize Palestinian state
About three-quarters of countries in the United Nations (UN) recognize the Palestinian state, which holds a 'Permanent Observer State' status within the intergovernmental body — allowing it to be part of the proceedings, but unable to vote on resolutions. Three more countries — close U.S. allies — have joined the tally in the last week. Last week, France said that it would recognize Palestinian statehood, with President Emmanuel Macron stating the move is part of a commitment to a 'just and lasting peace' in the Middle East. France became the first nation within the Group of Seven (G7) to do so. The announcement came shortly after negotiations over a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas broke down, with the Jewish State and the U.S. pulling their negotiators from Qatar. President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff pinned the blame on Hamas and argued that the officials will consider 'alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.' Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, said last week that 'neither international conferences disconnected from reality nor unilateral statements at the UN will lead to peace.' Then this week, as the international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has continued, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was ready to recognize Palestine's statehood if Israel does not manage to take action of ending the war with Hamas, a conflict that has been ongoing since the Palestinian militant group's terrorist attack on the Jewish State on Oct. 7, 2023. Starmer set the deadline for the UN's General Assembly in September, calling for an uptick in aid being delivered into the war-torn enclave and for Hamas to release the remaining hostages. 'I've always said that we will recognize a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution, with that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act,' Starmer said. Canada became the third close U.S. ally this week to announce it would recognize the Palestinian state. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would provide recognition of the state in September at the UN's General Assembly, a decision that would entail the Palestinian Authority 'holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.' Trump said on Truth Social that Canada's decision would make it hard for the U.S. to reach a trade agreement with Ottawa. On Monday, the president said that the U.S. would set up 'food centers' in Gaza as food distribution in the enclave has come under intense scrutiny and deaths of Gazans from starvation. Trump also acknowledged that there is starvation among the roughly 2.1 million population in Gaza, sharing a different view from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that no one is starving in the enclave. The White House said on Thursday that Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee would be in Gaza on Friday to 'inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear first-hand about this dire situation on the ground.'
New York Post
22 minutes ago
- New York Post
Europe's preening appeasers will recognize a fantasy — not ‘Palestine'
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
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And it desperately needs good economic relations with Europe and the United States, said Bernard Avishai, an Israeli American professor and analyst. 'Israel made a fantastic bet on globalization, and its economic life depends on its technological elites finding partners in developed countries,' Avishai said. 'What happens when companies like that get a cold shoulder from people around the world?' There is built-up anger in the West at having been pushed for years to keep down criticism over Israeli actions such as the occupation of the West Bank, Avishai said, and that anger is now coming out more strongly over Gaza. 'What's happening in Gaza is appalling,' and it diminishes the willingness of people to travel to Israel and to work with its scientists and companies, he said. 'For the Israeli economy,' he noted, 'this is already devastating.' Pushed by public reaction and by his own frustration, President Emmanuel Macron of France has said that his country will recognize Palestine as a state at the United Nations in September. Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, said Wednesday that his country would do the same. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made Britain's recognition conditional, but the moves nonetheless reflect how swiftly views of the war—and of Israel—have changed among Western countries. Advertisement This article originally appeared in .
