French President Emmanuel Macron (Pic credit: AP)
President Emmanuel Macron announced late Thursday that France would recognise the state of Palestine as part of “its historical commitment to a just and durable peace in the Middle East” (West Asia). In a surprise statement on social platform X that followed months of hints and hesitations, he said that he would make a formal announcement to that effect at the United Nations General Assembly in Sept in New York.“Today the most urgent thing is that the war in Gaza cease and the civilian population be helped,” Macron said. His statement came as anger mounted across the world over the continued Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip and growing starvation there.France would become the first of the G7 nations to recognise a Palestinian state.PM Keir Starmer, after discussing with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ways to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza, said on Friday that he was focused on the “practical solutions”. “Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that,” he said. “But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution…” Germany too said it is not planning to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term. A govt spokesperson said, “Israel’s security is of paramount importance to German govt.” Hala Abou-Hassira, the Palestinian ambassador to France, applauded Macron’s decision, saying that it demonstrated a France “faithful to its history, faithful to its policies, and faithful to international law.” Other European states, including Spain, Ireland and Norway, recognised a Palestinian state last year, but the French decision is of a different order. France is home to the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in western Europe, and is the only nuclear power and only permanent member of the UNSC in the EU. About 144 of the 193 member states of the UN recognise Palestine as a state, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China, India. The UNGA approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in Nov 2012 by upgrading its observer status to “non-member state” from “entity.”
