World
India
French President Emmanuel Macron has revealed that France plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the near future, with the announcement potentially coming at a high-level United Nations conference in June.
During an interview with France 5 television, Macron stated, “We must move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months.”
He emphasized that France, in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, intends to co-chair a major international summit in New York aimed at addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Global Support and Strategic Timing
The French president indicated that this conference could serve as the platform for a wider international move toward mutual recognition of a Palestinian state.
“Our aim is to chair this conference with Saudi Arabia in June, where we could finalize this movement of mutual recognition by several parties,” Macron said.
France and Saudi Arabia had previously announced their joint initiative in December. At the time, Macron clarified that France’s recognition of Palestine would come “at the right moment” and would be part of a broader push that includes multiple international actors.
“We want to involve several other partners and allies—both European and non-European—who are ready to move in this direction, but who are waiting for France,” he explained.
Mixed Reactions from Israel and the Region
The Israeli government has not yet officially responded to Macron’s latest comments. The Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem declined to comment on Wednesday night.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected the idea of recognizing Palestine as a state.
“There was a Palestinian state. It was called Gaza,” Netanyahu said in a February 6 interview. “Look what we received. The biggest massacre since the Holocaust. To establish a Palestinian state after October 7 is a huge prize, not only for Hamas [but also] for Iran.”
Public opinion in the region remains divided. An Arab opinion poll from last year found that nearly two-thirds of Palestinians in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria favored Hamas playing a significant role in governing post-war Gaza.
On the other hand, an Israeli survey conducted in January showed that 71% of Israelis opposed the creation of a Palestinian state that includes Judea and Samaria. Nearly 70% supported extending Israeli sovereignty over the area.
