Israel, US decry French move to recognise Palestine
France’s move to recognise a Palestinian state has drawn angry rebukes from Israel and the US, while pushing other countries to make strong expressions of support for a two-state solution.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (right) meets his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, in Jerusalem on Oct. 24, 2023. Photo by Amos Ben Gershom/GPO.
French President Emmanuel Macron intends to make the recognition official at the UN General Assembly in September.
He unveiled his decision on X, publishing a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming his intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convince other partners to follow suit.
France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially fuelling a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel.
The news sparked anger in Israel and the United States.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of his country’s closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
In a post on X, he added, “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.”
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.”
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said the United States “strongly rejects (Macron’s) plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly.”
In a post on X, he said, “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”
In June, Washington’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a US foreign policy goal.
President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a US takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the UN as a proposal of “ethnic cleansing”.
The French move has prompted the UK, Australia and Canada to make statements reiterating their support for a two-state solution and condemning the situation in Gaza – but stopping short of recognising Palestine.
“We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire 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,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
“The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible.”
“Australia is committed to a future where both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples can live in peace and safety, within internationally-recognised borders,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“Until that day, every effort must be made here and now to safeguard innocent life and end the suffering and starvation of the people of Gaza
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also pressed Israel to seek peace, and accused it of violating international law by blocking aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave
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.”
By: John Irish/Reuters
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