Macron Moves to Recognize ‘Palestine’ as Hamas Derails Ceasefire Talks

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state this September during the United Nations General Assembly a move that has drawn immediate backlash from Israel and its supporters.

In a post on X, Macron framed the decision as part of France’s commitment to securing “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” The announcement came only hours after ceasefire and hostage negotiations collapsed, with U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of refusing to act “in good faith.”

“It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way,” Witkoff said. “We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”

Macron’s five stated priorities include:

• Ending the ongoing war in Gaza.

• Securing the release of Israeli hostages.

• Delivering humanitarian aid to Gazans.

• Demilitarizing Hamas.

• Rebuilding Gaza and ensuring long-term stability.

Macron argued that recognizing a Palestinian state 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,” he wrote.

France is now the most influential European power to recognize “Palestine,” joining nations like Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Sweden. More than 140 countries worldwide have recognized a Palestinian state. However, the move comes at a time when Israel and much of the Western world are still reeling from Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023 terror attack, which left over 1,000 Israelis dead.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sharply criticized Macron’s decision: “Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state after the October 7th massacre isn’t diplomacy; it’s moral collapse. It rewards mass murder and tells Islamist terrorists: kill Jews, and the world will hand you a state.”

Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich said Macron’s actions have strengthened the case for Israel to assert sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. “This will be our fitting Zionist response to the one-sided pressure and coercive measures led by President Macron and his allies,” Smotrich wrote.

On Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset voted overwhelmingly (71-13) to pass a declaratory resolution supporting Israeli sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. The resolution emphasized Israel’s “natural, historical, and legal right to the entirety of the Land of Israel – the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people.” More than 500,000 Israelis currently live in these areas.

There has never been an independent Palestinian state. Before Israel’s existence, the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) was occupied by Jordan and Gaza by Egypt. Israel argues that establishing a Palestinian state now would only embolden terror groups like Hamas.

Macron’s decision risks further straining France’s relationship with Israel and could deepen divisions within Europe over Middle East policy.

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