Why Emmanuel Macron has decided to recognise a Palestinian state
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Has Macron Just Laid the Ground for a Major Middle Eastern War?
On July 24, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron, facing growing political opposition at home, decided to change the conversation to the Middle East. “Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” he wrote. By recognizing a Palestinian state, he unleashes cascading conflict, he writes. On October 7, 2023, was to stake its claim to post-Abbas Palestinian leadership. On September for the United Nations General Assembly, he visits New York in September. On November 1, 2015, is to sign a contract with the U.S. government for the right to conduct research in the United States. On December 1, 2016, is the first day of the second year of the third year of a four-year term. On January 1, 2017, the first week of the fourth year of this year, the second week of this month, the third week and the fourth week of next year are to be decided.
Macron may believe unilateral recognition of Palestinian independence will break the peace process logjam and advance peace in the Middle East, but he is wrong. By recognizing a Palestinian state, he unleashes cascading conflict.
In effect, Macron would be resurrecting and endorsing Jordan’s ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem’s Jews in the 1940s.
First, he recognizes a state with disputed borders. To call the West Bank “occupied” raises the question, occupied from whom? Prior to the exertion of Israel’s control in 1967, Jordan both administered the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem, and ethnically cleansed Jews from its territories. Prior to Jordan’s creation by the British, the Ottomans administered the region, but did not utilize the same administrative districts. Palestinian Arab identity did not coalesce until the mid-twentieth century. Prior to the backdrop of Israel’s creation, those who identify as Palestinian Arab today largely saw themselves as Syrian. Most were relatively recent migrants attracted to land opened by Jewish immigrants’ draining of malarial swamps and irrigation schemes. France’s recognition will not resolve border disputes, but could add urgency to them. To recognize the 1949 Armistice Lines as the border between Israel and a Palestinian state is to declare that Israel must evacuate the Old City of Jerusalem. In effect, Macron would be resurrecting and endorsing Jordan’s ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem’s Jews in the 1940s. If, however, Macron makes exceptions for Jewish neighborhoods and towns, then he is acknowledging the prematurity of his recognition.
Second, France condemns any resulting Palestinian state to failure. Who runs a Palestinian state? Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is nearly 90 years old. He is currently serving the twenty-first year of his four-year term, having refused to step down, submit himself to the electorate, or appoint a successor. Indeed, a major reason why Hamas decided to invade Israel on October 7, 2023, was to stake its claim to post-Abbas Palestinian leadership. By recognizing a Palestinian state when multiple Palestinian groups contest Palestinian leadership and Abbas himself is facing his own mortality makes intra-Palestinian civil war likely. Imagine Sudan, South Sudan, or the Democratic Republic of Congo on steroids as multiple states choose and arm their factions and use Palestinian blood to play out their own rivalries.
One of the main brakes on recognition of Palestinian statehood has been the failure that other countries might then sell or provide weaponry to it.
Beginning with the First Intifada in 1987, many academics and activists rationalized Palestinian violence: Palestinians threw stones or used suicide bombers because they did not have missiles or jets. Such logic may have explained the asymmetry but sidestepped an important question: If the Palestinian state did have similar weaponry to Israel, would it then use it? The answer is yes. One of the main brakes on recognition of Palestinian statehood has been the failure that other countries might then sell or provide weaponry to it. In April and October 2024, and then again in June 2025, Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel. Israel, however, had some forewarning due to the distance between the two countries; at their closest, Israel and Iran are 763 miles apart, though Iran stationed its drones and missile launchers even further away. If independent, nothing but military force can prevent Iran from stationing missiles in the West Bank and Gaza. Nor would Iran be alone in seeking to use a Palestinian state as a beachhead.
An even greater problem might be Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has openly sought to reconstitute the Ottoman Empire in spirit if not formally. Turkey dominates Syria and increasingly northern Lebanon as well. For Erdoğan, a Palestinian state dominated by Hamas would be the prize. He openly supports Hamas and has allowed the group safe haven inside Turkey to plot its attacks on Israel. Turkey already sells its drones and weaponry to clients across the region, from Somalia to Pakistan; Erdoğan will see an independent Palestinian state, buffeted by French and international assistance, as a natural market for Turkish weaponry to use against not only Israel but also Jordan, whose Hashemite monarchy stands directly in the way of Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman ambitions. Whichever country’s weapons trade with the Palestinian state might be the trigger, the result would be the same: What once the international community could contain with weapons embargoes or limit to counterterror campaigns, now will be an intra-state war involving at least two, and perhaps even more, countries across the region.
The question now is not whether there will be a war but when.
Israel, U.S. Slam France’s Recognition of Palestinian State
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France will recognize Palestine as an independent state. Israel and the U.S. have condemned the move, saying that it “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became” France has signaled it is hopeful other major powers will follow suit. The decision could add momentum to a push for Palestinian statehood that has so far been driven by smaller nations. Nearly 150 out of the 190 U.N. member states now do so, including several other European countries that have formally recognized Palestine since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023. It comes amid international outcry over what humanitarian organizations warn is a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as the enclave’s health ministry reports that more than 100 people have died of hunger since the war began. The French President will hold calls with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday to discuss the situation in Gaza. He has not specified what territory France would recognize as being part of a Palestinian state.
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The United States “strongly rejects” Macron’s plan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace,” he wrote. “It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.” France will officially recognize Palestine as an independent state at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in September, Macron announced on Thursday. “It is essential to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative,” the French President said in a post on X. The decision could add momentum to a push for Palestinian statehood that has so far largely been driven by smaller nations. While meeting with criticism from Israel and the U.S., Macron’s announcement was celebrated by other countries that have already made similar moves, as well as by Hamas and Palestinian leadership.
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Hamas called it “a positive step in the right direction to achieve justice for our oppressed Palestinian people and support their legitimate right to self-determination.” Palestinian Liberation Organization Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh thanked Macron, saying that his announcement “reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination.” What does Macron’s decision mean for a Palestinian state? France will be the biggest Western power and first member of the group of economic superpowers known as the Group of 7 (G7) to recognize Palestine as an independent state. Nearly 150 out of the 190 U.N. member states now do so, including several other European countries—Spain, Ireland and Norway—that have formally recognized Palestine since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023. France has signaled it is hopeful other major powers will follow suit. “I’ve had other colleagues on the phone and I’m sure that we won’t be the only ones recognizing Palestine in September,” a senior official with the French presidency told CNN.
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Macron has not specified what territory France would recognize as being part of a Palestinian state. Palestinians seek a state including parts of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, all of which are considered occupied territories by the United Nations. The French President did say that he wishes to ensure the demilitarization of Hamas and rebuild Gaza. Macron will hold calls with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday to discuss the situation in Gaza. On Thursday, Starmer said that “statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A cease-fire 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.” A divided response Macron’s announcement comes amid international outcry over what humanitarian organizations warn is a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as the enclave’s health ministry reports that more than 100 people have died of hunger since the war began.
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The starkly divergent responses to France’s decision from world leaders reflect deeper divisions over the conflict. “The audacity of the French president to create, with mere words, a permanent order in our land is absurd and unserious,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday. He added that “a Palestinian state would be a Hamas state,” in a statement on social media. Israeli far right politician and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Macron’s recognition of Palestine provides a reason to “finally implement Israeli sovereignty” over the West Bank. “This will be our legitimate Zionist response to the unilateral pressures and coercive maneuvers of Macron and his allies,” he continued on X. On Wednesday, the Israeli Parliament voted in favor of a non-binding motion for Israel to annex the West Bank. Smotrich, as well as fellow far-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, were both recently sanctioned by the U.K., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Norway for inciting “extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights,” particularly in the West Bank.
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Other countries that have recognized Palestine met the announcement with a very different tone.
“I warmly welcome President Macron’s intervention, this is very significant, the first G7 nation to recognize the state of Palestine,” Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin told reporters on Friday.
He added that it was significant for peace efforts to “create a future landscape for a two-state solution.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has “celebrated” France’s decision to recognize Palestine. “Together, we must protect what Netanyahu is trying to destroy. The two-state solution is the only solution.”
China has offered a more nuanced response. When asked on Friday about Macron’s decision to recognize Palestine, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said: “The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East situation. The only viable way to resolve it lies in the two-State solution,” adding that China will continue working towards the “just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.”
Infuriating Netanyahu, France’s Macron says to recognise Palestinian state in September
France will recognise a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September. The move is likely to anger Israel, which has been fighting a long-running conflict with the Palestinians. The U.S. has said it will not recognise any new state without a two-state solution. The White House has also said it would not recognise a new Palestinian state without an agreement to end the conflict in the West Bank and Gaza. The Israeli government has been battling the Palestinians for more than a year for control of the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Hamas terror group. The United States has been trying to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians since the outbreak of the Israeli war in Gaza in 2006. The Palestinians have been demanding an end to the conflict, which they say is aimed at Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. The French government says it wants to work with the Palestinian Authority to find a way to resolve the conflict without the use of force, but the Palestinians say this is not possible.
“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,” Macron said.
“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”
France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially giving greater momentum to a movement so far dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel.
The announcement sparked anger from Israel and is likely to get a tough response from Washington.
France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, adding that he hoped it would help bring peace to the region, but drawing an immediate rebuke from Israel.
Macron, who announced the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convince other partners to follow suit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Macron’s decision saying that such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
“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 said in a post on X.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism,” adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.”
In a statement on X on Thursday, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney also pressed Israel to seek peace, condemning the “Israeli government’s failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza” and reiterating Canada’s support for a two-state solution in the region.
Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
“Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith. We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza,” the prime minister said.
In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed any steps that would unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state even saying it could go against US foreign policy interests and draw consequences.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive despite the pressure not to do so.
French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel’s security.
The conference was postponed under US pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which regional airspace was closed, making it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend.
It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28-29 with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
CREATING MOMENTUM
The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week’s conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries who are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or still have misgivings in doing so.
Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Some 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week.
Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have described as “a nuclear bomb” for bilateral relations.
The idea that France, one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, could recognise a Palestinian state, would certainly infuriate Netanyahu.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Israel’s warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris’ regional initiatives – even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas.
Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority’s Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron’s decision reflected “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.”
US Condemns France’s Decision To Recognise Palestinian Statehood, Calls It ‘Gift To Hamas, Blow To Peace’
The United States has condemned France’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. The US made its position known in a post by its ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, who described the move as a blow to peace. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, also condemned the move announced by French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron made the declaration via his official X handle on Wednesday, saying the decision aligns with France’s “historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East” He added that the formal announcement will be made at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The move brings the number of countries recognizing the Palestinian state to at least 146. However, the United States, a long-time ally of Israel, has notably withheld such recognition. In April 2024, the U.S. blocked a draft resolution that would have enabled a General Assembly vote on granting Palestine full U.N. membership.
The US made its position known in a post by its ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, who described the move as a blow to peace.
“France’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state is a gift to Hamas and a blow to peace. I’ve just arrived, and I’m deeply disappointed. @EmmanuelMacron – I hope to change your mind before September. Free the hostages. Focus on a ceasefire. This is the path to lasting peace,” he posted on his official X handle.
His comments come as Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, also condemned the move announced by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Netanyahu shared Israel’s position on his official X handle.
“We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.
“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.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that, in a major diplomatic shift, Macron announced that France will formally recognise the State of Palestine, making it one of the most influential Western nations to take such a step amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Macron made the declaration via his official X handle on Wednesday, saying the decision aligns with France’s “historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
“Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine,” Macron stated.
He added that the formal announcement will be made at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September,” he said.
Macron stressed the urgent need to end the war in Gaza, provide humanitarian assistance, and secure the region, calling for the demilitarisation of Hamas and the rebuilding of Gaza.
“The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population,” he wrote. “We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. We must also ensure the demilitarization of Hamas, secure and rebuild Gaza.”
He emphasized that the future Palestinian state must be committed to peace and coexistence, with full recognition of Israel.
“And finally, we must build the State of Palestine, guarantee its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the region,” Macron added.
He underscored the desire for peace among the French population, stating: “The French people want peace in the Middle East. It is our responsibility — as French citizens, alongside Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners — to prove that peace is possible.”
Macron also revealed that he has communicated directly with the President of the Palestinian Authority to express his intentions.
“In light of the commitments made to me by the President of the Palestinian Authority, I have written to him to express my determination to move forward,” he said.
He ended his statement with a message of hope and resolve: “Trust, clarity, and resolve. We will achieve peace.”
France’s decision brings the number of countries recognizing the Palestinian state to at least 146. However, the United States, a long-time ally of Israel, has notably withheld such recognition.
In April 2024, the U.S. blocked a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council that would have enabled a General Assembly vote on granting Palestine full U.N. membership.
It remains unclear whether Macron’s move will further complicate relations with Washington, as the U.S. continues to resist international efforts to formally recognise Palestinian statehood amidst the prolonged and deadly conflict between Israel and Palestine.
France will recognize Palestinian statehood. How many countries already do?
World France will recognize Palestinian statehood. How many countries already do? French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a statement posted on X on July 24. 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. 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. The 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,’” Shahram Akbarzadeh, nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told the Washington Post.
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump at a White House meeting in February. Photo from the White House
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.