In a landmark decision, France has formally recognised a Palestinian state, joining a growing wave of European nations taking the step amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. The move, announced by President Emmanuel Macron at the United Nations on Monday, is intended to preserve the viability of a two-state solution.
Speaking at a UN conference in New York co-hosted with Saudi Arabia, President Macron declared that “the time for peace has come” and that “nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza.” The announcement follows similar recognition from the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal on Sunday. Support for a Palestinian state is increasing international pressure on Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where its military campaign has killed over 65,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israel has reacted with fury, viewing the recognition as a “reward for terrorism” following Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River. The United States, Israel’s key ally, also opposes the move, barring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from attending the UN conference in person and declining to participate in the summit. This has created the deepest-ever split between Washington and its major European allies on the conflict.
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Diplomatic gamble to end the ‘nightmare’
The European push, coordinated with the UK and sponsored by Saudi Arabia, is a diplomatic gamble aimed at creating a pathway out of the conflict. Proponents argue it provides an alternative to the current violence by keeping the two-state solution on life support. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation in Gaza as “morally, legally and politically intolerable,” calling the two-state solution the “only credible path” for peace. The growing recognition of a Palestinian state is seen by many as a necessary step to counter what Guterres termed a potential “one-state” solution of Israeli domination and Palestinian “subjugation.”
In his address, President Abbas called for a permanent ceasefire and stated that Hamas could have no role in governing Gaza, urging the group to “surrender their weapons” to the Palestinian Authority. The diplomatic effort also aims to incentivise Israel by keeping the door open for normalised relations with Saudi Arabia, a long-term goal for Netanyahu.
However, Israeli officials have threatened to respond to the recognition, with some far-right ministers advocating for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, a move that would jeopardise the Abraham Accords.
Image: Palestine is currently recognised as a state by the vast majority of countries. [Reuters]
