France will recognize Palestine, Macron says. Israel and the US fume: ‘It rewards terrorism’

Brussels – As the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris will officially recognise the State of Palestine. The decision of the Elysée, while anticipated, still sent shockwaves across the political world, especially the West. France will thus become the first G7 country to recognise Palestinian statehood, opening a significant diplomatic rift with the United States, which, following Israel, immediately condemned the move.

French President Emmanuel Macron shared yesterday evening (July 24) with a post on X the announcement that shook global diplomacy, especially among Paris’ closest allies: “Faithful 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,” he wrote, specifying that the formal announcement will take place at the next plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for September.

“The urgency today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to receive relief,” the post continues, calling for “an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid” to the inhabitants of the Palestinian enclave. There, dozens of civilians continue to be murdered every day by Tel Aviv’s army as they attempt to get their hands on humanitarian aid whose access the Jewish state severely limits (despite the much touted agreement mediated by the EU High Representative Kaja Kallas EU High Representative), while passing the responsibility for the lack of distribution onto the UN.

Faithful 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.

I will be making the solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September…. pic.twitter.com/7yQLkqoFWC

– Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025

Macron also mentioned among the priorities “the demilitarization of Hamas” and the reconstruction of the Strip, fundamental steps to “build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative,” he said, concluding his message with a promise, or perhaps a hope: “We will win the peace.”

Peace, however, is not on the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,  whose only way to stay in power (and avoid a trial at home and, potentially, even before the International Criminal Court) is precisely to prolong the war, or rather, wars.

Not only the one that has been conducting for 21 months in Gaza – on paper against Hamas, even though that fig leaf appears increasingly unconvincing as a cover for what seems to be a genocidal and ethnic cleansing campaign in the Strip and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories (as confirmed by the recent vote by the Knesset, the single-chamber parliament in Tel Aviv, on the annexation of the West Bank),  and which is recent weeks has seen yet another atrocious resurgence. But also the campaigns in Lebanon, the aggression against Iran, and the most recent bombing in Syria.

It is no coincidence that Netanyahu, who has always strongly opposed the possibility of a Palestinian statehood in any form, harshly criticized Macron’s announcement. According to the Tel Aviv strongman, the move by Paris “rewards terrorism.” At the same time, “a Palestinian statehood under these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace alongside it.” An interesting reversal of perspectives and responsibilities, given the current situation on the ground.

The United States, Israel’s staunch ally, is also furious. It firmly rejects the Elysée Palace’s unilateral move, described by Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a “reckless” decision that “sets back peace” and even represents “a slap in the face to the victims of October 7.“

For that matter, Washington did not sign the international appeal to the government in Tel Aviv to stop the massacre in Gaza and allow unconditional access to humanitarian aid. Among the signatory countries, now numbering 28, is Italy (Rome only began to raise its voice with the Jewish state after the bombing of a Catholic church in the Strip). At the same time, the other notable absentee, far from surprising, is Germany.

Berlin’s Federal Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, will speak to Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the coming hours for an “emergency call” to coordinate a shared position of the three-nation group (known as the E3) on both the Palestinian issue and another important dossier: talks with Tehran on Iran’s nuclear program, which will resume today in Istanbul.

The Labour prime minister – who last night declared in a joint statement with Macron and Merz that “statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people” – is facing increasing pressure from his own party to follow in the French president’s footsteps. However, for the moment, no change in London’s official position is in sight, although the UK and Canada had opened the door to a future recognition of Palestine last May, along with France.

On the other hand, the French leader’s initiative hardly comes as a surprise. For some time, his government had been signaling openness towards the Palestinian cause (albeit with all the necessary diplomatic caution). For months, he has been hinting at the possibility of formally legitimizing the State of Palestine, joining several European countries that already recognize it.

France was supposed to be the co-host, together with Saudi Arabia, of an international conference at the UN headquarters in mid-June to revive the so-called “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The event
was later canceled due to the 12-day war. However, a meeting at the ministerial level is scheduled to take place on July 28 and 29, which explains the timing of Macron’s announcement.

Today, 147 UN member states recognize Palestine, out of a total of 193 countries. Among them are 11 EU member states (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden), but none of the G7 nations. A future Palestinian state should theoretically be established on the territories of Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), all illegally occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War.

The vice-president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Hussein al-Sheikh, welcomed Macron’s opening, which he hopes will pave the way for the “creation of our independent state.” The head of the PNA, Mahmoud Abbas, pledged to organize new legislative and presidential elections in 2026 and, if a Palestinian state ever comes into being, to demilitarize the Hamas militias.