Macron says France to recognize Palestinian state at UNGA in September
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While Macron initially backed "Israel" following the outbreak of the war, his stance has shifted amid growing frustration with "Israel’s" ongoing genocide in Gaza.
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France's President Emmanuel Macron waves before welcoming Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat for a meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris on July 23, 2025. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine, as global outrage mounts over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
In a post on X, Macron said the formal recognition will be made 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," he wrote.
While Macron initially backed "Israel" following the outbreak of the war, his stance has shifted amid growing frustration with "Israel’s" ongoing genocide in Gaza.
"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 stated. “Peace is possible.”
Macron also shared a letter he sent to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas informing him of France’s decision.
With this move, France becomes the most influential and powerful European nation to recognize a Palestinian state. Over 140 countries globally, including more than a dozen in Europe, have already extended recognition.
France’s foreign minister is set to co-host a UN conference next week focused on advancing a "two-state solution". Macron had already signaled his intent last month, expressing his “determination to recognize the state of Palestine” and calling for a broader international push toward peace, one that affirms both Palestinian statehood and "Israel’s" right to security.
Global frustration with "Israel" has been mounting. Earlier this week, France and over two dozen mostly European countries condemned its ongoing restrictions on aid to Gaza and the killings of Palestinians attempting to reach food.
Israelis enraged, Palestinians hail decision
The decision faced uproar from Israeli officials. Former opposition leader Neftali Bennet, "Recognizing a Palestinian state after the October 7th massacre isn't diplomacy; it's moral collapse," he wrote.
Additionally, Israeli media described the decision as a "major blow to Israeli diplomacy."
Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' deputy, Hussein al-Sheikh, welcomed on Thursday France's intent to recognize a State of Palestine, thanking President Emmanuel Macron.
"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," al-Sheikh said.
US to skip UN conference on 'two-state solution'
While France has taken a bold stance amid all the Israeli and US pressures, the United States said it will not participate in an upcoming United Nations conference focused on establishing a "two-state solution", State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced during a press briefing.
The conference, set to take place later this month at the UN, is expected to center on recognizing a Palestinian state and advancing steps toward a "two-state" framework.
Pigott also addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that the US is working to increase the flow of aid into the territory while preventing it from being seized by Hamas, a claim with no proof provided and humanitarian organizations categorically denying it. Nevertheless, he accused the group of "weaponizing" humanitarian assistance, claiming attempts "to get as much aid into Gaza as possible."
Contrary to these claims came the US decision to recall its negotiating team back home following the recent Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Qatar for consultations, claiming that Hamas lacked good faith in the talks.
