Latest news with #PalestineLiberationOrganization
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
The logic behind recognizing Palestine
French President Emmanuel Macron's historic commitment to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September has sparked polarizing and often irreconcilable reactions in France, as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict always does. This comes as no surprise, especially given the criticism from the right and far right. Some within those ranks have chosen to align with Israel's positions, even when the country is led by a coalition that advocates the destruction of Gaza, the annexation of the West Bank and ethnic cleansing. Since Hamas's terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, these three threats have ceased to be part of a dystopian scenario. The first threat is nearing completion before our eyes, despite the shameful media blackout imposed by Israel. The second threat is advancing inexorably, fueled by extremist settlers supported by an ultranationalist government where the right and far right are becoming indistinguishable. That same government is also actively working to normalize the third threat. Decades of Israeli fait accomplis demand that we take this seriously. This necessary reminder of the brutal reality is essential to understanding Macron's decision. France can no longer adhere to its previous position that recognition would come at the end of a territorial compromise negotiated by both sides. The door to such a prospect has long since closed, and responsibility is broadly shared. What is now at stake makes it impossible to accept inaction or further delay. The fact that some of France's allies are content with this resignation does not make it virtuous. It may already be too late to save the two-state solution. Waiting and doing nothing only ensures that, eventually, there will be nothing left to recognize – definitively. Even without the slightest guarantee of success, trying to halt this downward spiral is an argument in favor of recognizing Palestine. Staying true to the values France has proclaimed to uphold, including supporting the Palestinians' right to self-determination in land seized by Israel in 1967, also leads to this decision. The two-state solution would guarantee an irreversible defeat for Hamas by further strengthening the legitimacy of Israel following the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) recognition of Israel in 1988 and 1993. The solution also safeguards against a shift that, if unchecked, will cause Israel to abandon its democratic nature and impose an apartheid regime on Palestinians confined to enclaves. Turning away from these values because upholding them is risky is, in fact, an endorsement of resignation – a point that makes such criticism all the more peculiar when it comes from people who often invoke Gaullism (a French doctrine of national independence and moral leadership inherited from former president Charles de Gaulle). Either Palestine represents an injustice and must be opposed, or Palestine is the only solution to save the Palestinians and to protect Israelis from themselves. In that case, it must be recognized.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
France will recognize Palestinian statehood. How many countries already do?
France will become the latest country to recognize Palestinian statehood — joining most of the rest of the world. 'Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,' French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a statement posted on X on July 24. Macron, founder of the centrist Renaissance Party, said he will make the official announcement during the United Nations General Assembly, which will take place in New York in September. He also reiterated his call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, where nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's war against Hamas and millions more face famine, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Many attempting to get food have been killed by Israeli forces, the U.N. human rights office said. 'This move is a victory for the Palestinian cause,' Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a statement. 'It reflects France's genuine commitment to supporting the Palestinian people…' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu denounced Macron's move, writing on X, 'A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it.' The U.S. government echoed this sentiment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Macron's announcement a 'reckless decision' that 'only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.' How many countries recognize state of Palestine? France will now join the vast majority of nations — with some notable exceptions — in formally acknowledging the state of Palestine. As of June 2024, 146 of the 193 U.N. member states, or 74%, had recognized Palestine as a sovereign nation. Palestine was officially declared as a state in 1988 by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). As its territory, it claims the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and parts of 'historic Palestine' occupied by Israel starting in 1967, per the U.N. Following this declaration, many countries quickly recognized Palestinian statehood, including China, Russia and India, according to the Washington Post. Over time, most governments of South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia moved to do the same, according to the World Population Review. The most recent nations to recognize the state of Palestine were Spain, Ireland and Norway, which did so in 2024 amid Israel's war in Gaza. However, the U.S. and many of its western allies — including the U.K., Canada, Germany, Japan and Australia — have refrained from formally acknowledging Palestine as a nation. France's decision, though — making it the only G7 nation to recognize Palestine — could spark a change in other western countries, policymakers and experts have said. 'For a 'European heavyweight' such as France to recognize Palestinian statehood sends a 'clear signal to the United States, Israel and the international community that what's going on in Gaza is unacceptable and that there has to be a diplomatic way out of this crisis,'' Shahram Akbarzadeh, nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told the Washington Post. 'It's very likely now that [the United Kingdom] will do the same thing. That is where we are heading,' a senior U.K. lawmaker told the Financial Times. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer released a statement on July 24, saying, 'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible.' He added that 'statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people,' though he stopped short of saying he would move to formally recognize the state of Palestine. International recognition alone, though, will not change the situation on the ground; it's not a 'magic wand' that can achieve a two-state solution, according to the Associated Press. But, it could shift the global conversation.
Maroc
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
Upper House Speaker Receives PLO Delegation
Speaker of Morocco's House of Councillors, Mohammed Ould Errachid, received, on Thursday in Rabat, a high-level delegation from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Ahmad Al-Tamimi, member of the Organization's Executive Committee and head of its Department of Human Rights and Civil Society. On this occasion, Ould Errachid reiterated Morocco's constant position, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, which considers the Palestinian issue a national cause, the Upper House said in a press release. He also underlined the unanimity of the Moroccan people in their continued support for and solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people, in the defense of their legitimate rights and the strengthening of their resilience, particularly in the midst of the difficult circumstances in the Gaza Strip. Ould Errachid furthermore expressed the House of Councillors' willingness to elevate the level of cooperation ties with the Palestinian National Council, to bolster efficient parliamentary communication and promote the exchange of experiences and expertise in the different fields of mutual interest. For his part, Al-Tamimi, who was accompanied by the ambassador of the State of Palestine to Morocco, Jamal Choubki, commended the Kingdom's leading role, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in supporting the Palestinian cause. He also highlighted the Kingdom's continuous interest in this cause, through the initiatives and projects of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency, reflecting the depth of the historical and human ties between the two brotherly peoples. MAP: 18 July 2025
Bloomberg
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Israel Has Its Best Chance for Peace in 25 Years
Twenty-five years ago this week, I was at Camp David as President Bill Clinton's lead Middle East negotiator. We sought to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and to produce peace between two national movements competing for the same space. In July 2000, we were optimistic about ending the conflict. Over the preceding seven years, since the beginning of the Oslo process — which provided mutual recognition between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization and called for the creation of a Palestinian Authority (PA) to negotiate peace with Israel — we had produced four partial agreements: the Gaza-Jericho Agreement, the Interim Agreement, the Hebron Protocol and the Wye River Memorandum.
Roya News
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Abbas says Hamas won't govern Gaza once ceasefire begins
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that Hamas will not be allowed to govern the Gaza Strip in the post-war period, stressing that the group must disarm and commit to the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). 'Hamas must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority and engage in political work under a unified legal system, one authority, one law, and one legitimate weapon,' Abbas said during a meeting with former British Prime Minister and ex-Quartet envoy Tony Blair in Amman, Jordan. The remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, with Abbas reiterating the need for an immediate halt to hostilities, the release of all captives and detainees, and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. President Abbas emphasized that the only viable solution is a full 'Israeli' withdrawal from Gaza and the empowerment of the Palestinian state to assume full responsibilities in the territory with strong Arab and international support. He also called for an end to all unilateral 'Israeli' actions, including settlement expansion, annexation attempts, and repeated assaults on Islamic and Christian holy sites. Abbas renewed his call for a serious political process based on international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, advocating for the convening of an international peace conference in New York to implement the two-state solution. At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue coordination and engagement with relevant parties to end the war and promote regional peace and stability.
