France is poised to join a growing group of Western nations in recognizing a Palestinian state as world leaders converge on New York for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The move, expected to be announced by President Emmanuel Macron, comes just one day after Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal formally extended recognition, intensifying international pressure on Israel as its war on Gaza continues.
The recognition wave has gained momentum amid mounting global outrage over the humanitarian toll of the conflict. Israel’s ongoing offensive has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, flattened large swathes of Gaza, and provoked sharp rebukes from even some of its closest allies. For many observers, the coordinated diplomatic gestures reflect a renewed determination to revive the two-state solution, long seen as the most viable path to resolving the decades-old conflict.
Macron, speaking in a U.S. television interview ahead of the UN gathering, underscored France’s readiness to take the step. “They want a nation, they want a state, and we should not push them towards Hamas,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation. He argued that recognition would strengthen moderate Palestinian voices while politically isolating Hamas, the group that launched a deadly assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
France’s recognition will also carry symbolic weight given its status as both a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a key player in European diplomacy. Macron is scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during UN week to discuss ways of reviving the long-stalled two-state framework. Saudi Arabia has consistently pushed for recognition of Palestinian statehood as a foundation for regional peace.
At the same time, Macron made clear that France would attach conditions to its recognition process. He said the release of hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attack would be a prerequisite for opening a formal French embassy to a Palestinian state. The statement reflects Paris’s balancing act between demonstrating solidarity with Palestinians while addressing Israeli security concerns.
Israel has reacted angrily to the spate of recognitions, warning that such steps reward “terror” and undermine peace negotiations. Yet the momentum appears to be shifting in diplomatic circles, with analysts suggesting that coordinated recognition by multiple Western democracies could prompt other governments to follow suit during the UNGA session.
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