French President Emmanuel Macron has said US President Donald Trump could only secure a Nobel Peace Prize if he succeeds in ending the Gaza conflict, arguing that Washington alone has the leverage to pressure Israel to halt its offensive.
Speaking to BFMTV on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Macron stressed that the American president holds the key to peace in the current crisis. “There is only one person who could do something in the current situation — the American president,” Macron said. “I see an American president who is mobilised and who said this morning, ‘I want peace, I will solve this conflict.’ The Nobel Peace Prize is only possible if you stop this conflict.”
The French leader urged Trump to push Israel to halt military operations in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas. He acknowledged that while France had formally recognised Palestinian statehood at the General Assembly, a move strongly opposed by both Israel and Trump, it was ultimately the United States that had decisive influence over Israel’s actions.
“Why can he do more than us? We do not deliver arms that allow the Gaza conflict to be waged,” Macron explained, noting that American military assistance gave Washington unique leverage in shaping Israeli policy.
Macron also conceded that recognition of Palestinian statehood would only become a reality once Israel itself accepted it. “A Palestinian state will truly be created on the day the State of Israel recognizes it,” he said.
The French president further acknowledged the risk of Israeli retaliation over Paris’s decision to recognise Palestine, with reports suggesting Israel could shut down the French consulate in Jerusalem, which serves as a key access point for Palestinians. Macron, however, said his government was prepared for any scenario. “We are ready. We have planned for all possible options, which means we will never remain inert. We will always defend France’s interests,” he said without elaborating on the measures.
Macron’s remarks highlight both the diplomatic tension between Paris and Jerusalem and the pivotal role Washington continues to play in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as Trump seeks to cast himself as a potential peacemaker on the global stage.
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