French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday that France now formally recognizes the State of Palestine, describing the decision as essential for preserving prospects for lasting peace in the region.
Macron declared that “The time has come. This is why, true to the historic, historic commitment of my country to the Middle East to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” France has taken this diplomatic step.
The French recognition follows similar announcements by Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom on Sunday, with Portugal joining as the fourth country to confirm its recognition of a Palestinian state in this recent wave of diplomatic moves.
This brings the total to some 147 countries, representing 75 percent of UN members, that have now recognized Palestinian statehood, significantly isolating Israel diplomatically as it continues its military campaign in Gaza.
The coordinated recognition by France and several other Western nations at the United Nations deepens Israel’s international isolation as it pursues its maximalist war aims in Gaza despite mounting international criticism.
Macron had previously announced in July that France would recognize Palestine in September, stating this decision “reaffirms France’s commitment” to “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East”.
The French president has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza conflict. Despite frequently speaking out against antisemitism and condemning the October 7 Hamas attacks, “he has grown increasingly frustrated about Israel’s war in Gaza”.
The moves by Britain, Canada, Australia and France represent a “reversal of decades of unwillingness to accept Palestinians as a sovereign nation until their conflict with Israel was permanently settled and breaking sharply with the United States”.
The United States continues to oppose recognition of Palestinian statehood, maintaining that such moves should come through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians rather than unilateral diplomatic declarations.
The timing of these announcements, coinciding with the UN General Assembly session, appears coordinated to maximize diplomatic pressure on Israel while demonstrating Western support for Palestinian aspirations for statehood.
The Palestinian Authority has welcomed the proposed recognitions and says it wants to govern Gaza without Hamas, calling for the group to disarm. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has stated there is “no intention to be a militarized [Palestinian] state.”
Israeli officials have strongly condemned the recognition moves, with Israeli leaders arguing that such steps reward terrorism and undermine prospects for negotiated peace. The Israeli government maintains that Palestinian statehood should only come through direct bilateral negotiations.
The wave of recognition comes as international pressure mounts on Israel over its conduct of military operations in Gaza, with many countries expressing concern over civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in the territory.
