Macron hints at Potential Recognition of Palestine State in Coming Months

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has stated that France intends to acknowledge Palestine as a sovereign state in June of this year.

During a two-day visit to Egypt, Macron shared these remarks in an interview with a French TV channel.

"The aim is to convene this conference with Saudi Arabia in June, where we can finalize the mutual recognition agreement involving multiple parties," he stated.

“I’ll do it… because I believe that eventually it will be equitable, and also because I wish to engage with a collaborative effort. This endeavor should enable everyone supporting Palestine to acknowledge Israel as well, something many of them currently refuse to do,” he went on to say.

Macron further stated that this move would enable France to be "clear in our struggle against those who refuse Israel's right to existence," particularly mentioning Iran, while simultaneously committing to "collective security within the area."

In June, France will host a two-day United Nations conference alongside Saudi Arabia in New York. The event aims to promote a two-state solution following 18 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

However, official acknowledgment from Paris of a Palestinian state would mark a considerable change in policy and might jeopardize ties with Israel.

Almost 150 nations acknowledge Palestine as a sovereign state, with Ireland, Norway, and Spain announcing their recognition in May 2024.

Despite this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still opposes the two-state solution, claiming that giving statehood would amount to a "significant reward" for the Hamas-led assault on Israel that occurred on October 7th.